Upper Lake Middle

Summary:

Upper Lake Middle is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the rural town of Upper Lake, California, with an enrollment of 178 students. However, this small school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, low academic achievement, and a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.

Compared to state averages and nearby middle schools, Upper Lake Middle stands out for its concerning metrics. The school has had chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 18.2% to 44.4% in recent years, far exceeding the rates of nearby schools like Eagle Peak Middle (33.6%), Pomolita Middle (34.9%), and Terrace Middle (41.9%). Additionally, Upper Lake Middle students perform significantly below state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, with only 15.64% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 47.04%.

The challenges faced by Upper Lake Middle appear to be deeply rooted, with 82.02% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, much higher than the nearby schools. This high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds likely contributes to the school's consistently poor performance, which has placed it in the bottom 20% of California middle schools over the past several years. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for the students at Upper Lake Middle, which is part of the Upper Lake Unified school district.

Detail:

Public 6-8

725 Old Lucerne Rd.
Upper Lake, CA 95485-0036

(707) 275-0223

District: Upper Lake Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2378^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,227

Students who attend Upper Lake Middle usually attend:

High:

Upper Lake High

Feeder schools for Upper Lake Middle:

Elementary:

Upper Lake Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

Number of students: 178

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.1%

Hispanic:

31.5%

American Indian:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Upper Lake Middle ranks worse than 85.6% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.2. (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: White (55.1%), Hispanic (31.5%), American Indian (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Upper Lake Middle is 16.7. (See more...)

Compare Upper Lake Middle employs 10.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Upper Lake Middle is $8,227.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Upper Lake Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Upper Lake Middle 2378^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Upper Lake Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Upper Lake Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Upper Lake Unified 1342^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Upper Lake Middle

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Rank History for all students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	11.16	2516^th	2715	7.3%
2021	23.04	700^th	894	21.7%
2022	27.63	1872^nd	2740	31.7%
2023	25.76	2010^th	2802	28.3%
2024	17.20	2378^th	2777	14.4%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	9.15	2167^th	2230	2.8%
2019	11.24	2236^th	2369	5.6%
2021	26.39	581^st	721	19.4%
2022	34.25	1527^th	2458	37.9%
2023	32.42	1664^th	2549	34.7%
2024	21.81	2105^th	2575	18.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.67	2186^th	2262	3.4%
2019	11.02	2241^st	2380	5.8%
2021	22.45	586^th	738	20.6%
2022	26.99	1764^th	2509	29.7%
2023	25.36	1877^th	2547	26.3%
2024	19.18	2121^st	2546	16.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.45	2170^th	2273	4.5%
2019	11.42	2268^th	2407	5.8%
2021	25.18	572^nd	763	25.0%
2022	28.87	1703^rd	2527	32.6%
2023	26.80	1801^st	2558	29.6%
2024	15.26	2275^th	2547	10.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.02	2004^th	2072	3.3%
2019	13.76	2051^st	2213	7.3%
2022	31.69	1569^th	2359	33.5%
2023	28.40	1708^th	2391	28.6%
2024	14.45	2194^th	2383	7.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Upper Lake Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	3.60	1478^th	1496	1.2%
2019	4.31	1569^th	1602	2.1%
2022	18.80	1299^th	1555	16.5%
2023	15.39	1331^st	1552	14.2%
2024	10.69	1409^th	1535	8.2%

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 Upper Lake Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2017	87	4	2	52	22	2	169
2018	82	3	0	49	20	6	160
2019	98	3	1	55	25	8	190
2020	93	2	1	63	10	6	175
2021	100	2	2	67	8	8	187
2022	88	4	1	51	9	10	163
2023	98	0	2	56	12	10	178

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 Upper Lake Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	169	9.0	18.7	73.4
2018	160	7.0	22.6	82.5
2019	190	9.6	19.6	85.3
2020	175	n/a	n/a	84
2021	187	8.0	23.3	80.2
2022	163	9.0	18.1	86.5
2023	178	10.6	16.7	82

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 Upper Lake Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	169	9.0	18.7	73.4
2018	160	7.0	22.6	82.5
2019	190	9.6	19.6	85.3
2020	175	n/a	n/a	84
2021	187	8.0	23.3	80.2
2022	163	9.0	18.1	86.5
2023	178	10.6	16.7	82

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 Upper Lake Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,226

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Upper Lake Middle

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 2516^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2010^th of 2802 Middle schools	20.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Middle)	20.9	19.5	1.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Unified)	20.9	19.5	1.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Middle)	15.2	20.8	5.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Unified)	15.2	20.8	5.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Middle)	12.2	42	29.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Unified)	12.2	42	29.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Middle)	10.2	22	11.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Unified)	10.2	22	11.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Middle)	13.2	27	13.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Upper Lake Unified)	13.2	27	13.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Middle)	4.5	9.5	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Upper Lake Unified)	4.5	9.5	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Upper Lake Middle)	15.9	17.5	1.5%
8th Grade Science (Upper Lake Unified)	15.9	17.5	1.5%
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	190	178	6.3%
African American	3	0	100%
American Indian	25	12	52%
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	55	56	1.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	98	98
Two or More Races	8	10	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	85.3%	82%	3.2%

Schools Near Upper Lake Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	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 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	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
Upper Lake Middle	Public	6-8	725 Old Lucerne Rd.	Upper Lake	95485	Lake County	Upper Lake Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 275-0223	178	11	16.7	82.0%	98 (55.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (31.5%)	2 (1.1%)	12 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.6%)	17.2	2378^th of 2777 public middle schools	14.4%		25.8	2010^th of 2802 public middle schools	28.3%	368		18.4	18.4			19.6	9.5	20.4	15.6			16.1	8.1	22.5	14.5	$8,227
Lakeport Community Day	Public	6-10	2548 Howard Ave.	Lakeport	95453	Lake County	Lakeport Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 262-3013	0	1	10.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Terrace Middle	Public	4-8	250 Lange St.	Lakeport	95453	Lake County	Lakeport Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 262-3007	482	27	17.7	66.4%	199 (41.3%)	11 (2.3%)	183 (38.0%)	3 (0.6%)	56 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.6%)	16.3	2422^nd of 2777 public middle schools	12.8%		17.6	2400^th of 2802 public middle schools	14.3%	22	13.6	8.6	11.2	17.1	20.5	17.1	26.6	16.3	19.4	19.1	9.1	11.1	24.0	7.4	14.0
Mountain Vista Middle	Public	6-8	5081 Konocti Rd.	Kelseyville	95451	Lake County	Kelseyville Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 279-4060	375	21	17.8	76.0%	156 (41.6%)	1 (0.3%)	179 (47.7%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (6.9%)	11.8	2590^th of 2777 public middle schools	6.7%		13	2593^rd of 2802 public middle schools	7.5%	3		12.4	12.4			17.2	11.3	16.7	14.8			13.6	5.0	7.4	8.5	$7,570
Potter Valley Junior High	Public	7-8	10401 Main St.	Potter Valley	95469	Mendocino County	Potter Valley Community Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 743-1142	49	3	17.0	53.1%	24 (49.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (44.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.1%)	33.7	1676^th of 2777 public middle schools	39.6%		33.5	1685^th of 2802 public middle schools	39.9%	9		20.8	20.8				47.1	20.8	31.7				35.3	12.5	22.0
Pomolita Middle	Public	6-8	740 North Spring St.	Ukiah	95482	Mendocino County	Ukiah Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 472-5350	767	39	19.4	80.8%	218 (28.4%)	4 (0.5%)	482 (62.8%)	8 (1.0%)	21 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (4.2%)	26.3	1978^th of 2777 public middle schools	28.8%		26.1	1988^th of 2802 public middle schools	29.1%	10		15.2	15.2			31.6	29.8	24.0	28.2			25.0	23.1	15.4	20.9	$6,477
Eagle Peak Middle	Public	5-8	8601 West Rd.	Redwood Valley	95470	Mendocino County	Ukiah Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 472-5250	539	26	20.6	75.0%	228 (42.3%)	2 (0.4%)	250 (46.4%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.5%)	28.7	1866^th of 2777 public middle schools	32.8%		29.9	1823^rd of 2802 public middle schools	34.9%	43	23.8	22.1	22.8		35.6	30.1	24.6	38.9	32.4		17.1	17.2	19.5	17.2	17.8	$6,624

Frequently Asked Questions about Upper Lake Middle

What district is Upper Lake Middle in?

Upper Lake Unified

Is Upper Lake Middle a good school?

Upper Lake Middle ranks in the bottom 14.4% of California middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Upper Lake Middle attend?

Students who attend Upper Lake Middle usually go on to attend Upper Lake High

What is the racial makeup of Upper Lake Middle?

Students at Upper Lake Middle are 55% White, 31% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Upper Lake Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 178 students attended Upper Lake Middle.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.