Is Santa Barbara Junior High a good school?

Santa Barbara Junior High ranks 1619 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Barbara Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 502 students attended Santa Barbara Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Barbara Junior High?

Students at Santa Barbara Junior High are 82% Hispanic, 13% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Santa Barbara Junior High attend?

Students who attend Santa Barbara Junior High usually go on to attend Santa Barbara Senior High

Santa Barbara Junior High

Summary:

Santa Barbara Junior High is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, with 560 students enrolled. Over the past several years, the school's statewide ranking has declined from a high of 4 stars out of 5 in 2014-2015 to its current 2 star rating.

The school faces significant challenges in academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics consistently underperforming compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, Santa Barbara Junior High has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 31.3% in 2021-2022 and 27.5% in 2022-2023, much higher than the district and state averages. The school also serves a significantly more disadvantaged student population, with 78.04% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, compared to nearby Goleta Valley Junior High (49.09%) and La Colina Junior High (41.89%).

Despite these challenges, there may be opportunities for Santa Barbara Junior High to collaborate with nearby middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District to share best practices, resources, and strategies for improving student outcomes. Addressing the school's academic performance, chronic absenteeism, and socioeconomic disparities will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to support the school's students and improve their educational experiences.

Detail:

Public 7-8

721 East Cota St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103-3184

(805) 963-7751

District: Santa Barbara Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1619^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,844

Students who attend Santa Barbara Junior High usually attend:

High:

Santa Barbara Senior High

Feeder schools for Santa Barbara Junior High:

Elementary:	Cleveland Elementary
	Franklin Elementary
	Peabody Charter
	Roosevelt Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 502

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.7%

White:

12.5%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.5%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Santa Barbara Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Barbara Junior High ranks worse than 58.3% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.05. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (81.7%), White (12.5%), two or more races (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Barbara Junior High is 15.1, which is the 2^nd best among 4 middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Santa Barbara Junior High employs 33 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Barbara Junior High is $11,844, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Barbara Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Barbara Junior High 1619^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Santa Barbara Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Santa Barbara Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Barbara Unified 696^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Santa Barbara Junior High?

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Rank History for Santa Barbara Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	68.02	652^nd	2379	72.6%
2015	67.63	697^th	2477	71.9%
2016	67.10	709^th	2497	71.6%
2017	53.40	1024^th	2508	59.2%
2018	58.00	892^nd	2480	64.0%
2019	53.21	1075^th	2715	60.4%
2022	36.43	1571^st	2740	42.7%
2023	29.45	1840^th	2802	34.3%
2024	35.05	1619^th	2777	41.7%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.39	653^rd	678	3.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.59	794^th	1364	41.8%
2019	39.29	710^th	1442	50.8%
2022	31.93	1148^th	1540	25.5%
2023	40.06	774^th	1529	49.4%
2024	42.26	642^nd	1477	56.5%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	36.44	872^nd	1538	43.3%
2024	44.60	671^st	1550	56.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.94	1420^th	2230	36.3%
2019	38.94	1359^th	2369	42.6%
2022	26.94	1820^th	2458	26.0%
2023	25.76	1942^nd	2549	23.8%
2024	36.36	1516^th	2575	41.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	61.21	93^rd	336	72.3%
2023	41.62	164^th	321	48.9%
2024	39.05	223^rd	394	43.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.91	789^th	2262	65.1%
2019	52.88	988^th	2380	58.5%
2022	36.93	1439^th	2509	42.6%
2023	28.12	1740^th	2547	31.7%
2024	39.43	1354^th	2546	46.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.60	1064^th	1369	22.3%
2019	36.87	813^th	1491	45.5%
2022	35.15	890^th	1531	41.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	18.43	164^th	193	15.0%
2023	23.31	150^th	197	23.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.09	916^th	2273	59.7%
2019	49.97	1029^th	2407	57.2%
2022	35.80	1465^th	2527	42.0%
2023	30.08	1657^th	2558	35.2%
2024	30.13	1671^st	2547	34.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.81	1302^nd	2072	37.2%
2019	34.54	1410^th	2213	36.3%
2022	30.81	1599^th	2359	32.2%
2023	29.76	1661^st	2391	30.5%
2024	31.97	1567^th	2383	34.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	89.82	68^th	1496	95.5%
2019	86.80	135^th	1602	91.6%
2022	62.36	547^th	1555	64.8%
2023	35.78	981^st	1552	36.8%
2024	73.16	364^th	1535	76.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Santa Barbara Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2012	287	8	11	509	7	1	18	0	841
2013	291	8	8	518	8	2	20	0	855
2014	312	8	13	509	8	1	16	0	867
2015	274	5	17	504	8	1	11	0	820
2016	223	7	15	486	5	3	6	0	745
2017	231	14	20	483	3	3	5	0	759
2018	246	11	19	509	3	2	10	0	800
2019	223	7	7	553	2	2	29	0	823
2020	218	5	8	546	3	0	27	0	807
2021	191	3	9	491	2	0	16	0	712
2022	147	2	8	449	4	1	19	0	630
2023	106	3	5	418	5	1	21	1	560
2024	63	3	6	410	2	0	17	1	502

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Santa Barbara Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	841	36.8	22.8	n/a
2013	855	37.8	22.6	53.7
2014	867	40.2	21.5	48.7
2015	820	37.0	22.1	47.8
2016	745	36.0	20.6	48.2
2017	759	32.0	23.6	56.7
2018	800	37.8	21.1	52.8
2019	823	38.0	21.6	58.8
2020	807	n/a	n/a	56.4
2021	712	36.0	19.7	55.5
2022	630	34.8	18.0	72.5
2023	560	32.4	17.2	78
2024	502	33.0	15.1	78.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Santa Barbara Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	841	36.8	22.8	n/a
2013	855	37.8	22.6	53.7
2014	867	40.2	21.5	48.7
2015	820	37.0	22.1	47.8
2016	745	36.0	20.6	48.2
2017	759	32.0	23.6	56.7
2018	800	37.8	21.1	52.8
2019	823	38.0	21.6	58.8
2020	807	n/a	n/a	56.4
2021	712	36.0	19.7	55.5
2022	630	34.8	18.0	72.5
2023	560	32.4	17.2	78
2024	502	33.0	15.1	78.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Santa Barbara Junior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,844

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Barbara Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1075^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1840^th of 2802 Middle schools	26.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Junior High)	45.2	25.2	20%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)	58.7	53.4	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Junior High)	40.3	27.2	13.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)	50	43.6	6.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Junior High)	45.6	27.1	18.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)	55.3	46.7	8.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Junior High)	38.5	18	20.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)	50	38.5	11.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Junior High)	33.7	20.7	13%
8th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Unified)	41.3	35.1	6.3%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	823	560	32%
African American	7	3	57.1%
American Indian	2	5	150%
Asian	7	5	28.6%
Hispanic	553	418	24.4%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	223	106	52.5%
Two or More Races	29	21	27.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	58.8%	78%	19.2%

Schools Near Santa Barbara Junior High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)		CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Santa Barbara Junior High	Public	7-8	721 East Cota St.	Santa Barbara	93103	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 963-7751	502	33	15.1	78.5%	63 (12.5%)	3 (0.6%)	410 (81.7%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.4%)	35.1	1619^th of 2777 public middle schools	41.7%		29.5	1840^th of 2802 public middle schools	34.3%	221			24.0	24.0		34.1	32.2	33.1		29.7	17.4	23.6	$11,844
Alta Vista	Public, Virtual	7-9	215 East Ortega St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	4	1	3.7		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
La Cumbre Junior High	Public	7-8	2255 Modoc Rd.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 687-0761	450	28	16.0	90.0%	32 (7.1%)	3 (0.7%)	407 (90.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	33.1	1698^th of 2777 public middle schools	38.9%		32.7	1714^th of 2802 public middle schools	38.8%	16			14.4	14.4		39.1	27.6	33.6		25.8	25.1	25.5	$12,527
La Colina Junior High	Public	7-8	4025 Foothill Rd.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-4506	893	44	20.1	41.9%	452 (50.6%)	4 (0.4%)	356 (39.9%)	29 (3.2%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (5.3%)	87.7	327^th of 2777 public middle schools	88.2%		88.2	321^st of 2802 public middle schools	88.5%	6			45.2	45.2		68.1	68.0	68.1		50.9	61.6	56.6	$10,904
Goleta Valley Junior High	Public	7-8	6100 Stow Canyon Rd.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-3486	736	38	19.5	48.5%	279 (37.9%)	9 (1.2%)	353 (48.0%)	37 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.6%)	75.9	566^th of 2777 public middle schools	79.6%		79.8	490^th of 2802 public middle schools	82.5%	76			43.1	43.1		55.1	51.8	53.5		50.1	47.7	48.9	$11,572
Carpinteria Middle	Public	6-8	5351 Carpinteria Ave.	Carpinteria	93013	Santa Barbara County	Carpinteria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 684-4544	402	28	14.5	77.4%	69 (17.2%)	3 (0.7%)	313 (77.9%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	54.6	1025^th of 2777 public middle schools	63.1%		47.5	1239^th of 2802 public middle schools	55.8%	214	5.3	5.3	33.9	33.9	33.1	46.5	46.2	41.3	31.4	36.9	43.3	36.9	$7,363

Santa Barbara Junior High

Santa Barbara Junior High:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Santa Barbara Unified:

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Rank History for Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for all students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Special Education students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Homeless students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Female students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Disabled students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Military Connected students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Male students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Rank History for White students at Santa Barbara Junior High

Enrollment information for Santa Barbara Junior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Santa Barbara Junior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Santa Barbara Junior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Santa Barbara Junior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Barbara Junior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Santa Barbara Junior High

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Barbara Junior High

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