Nicolas Junior High

Summary:

Nicolas Junior High is a public middle school located in Fullerton, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 631 students. The school is part of the Fullerton Elementary School District, which is ranked 498 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a moderately ranked district, Nicolas Junior High consistently ranks in the bottom half of California middle schools, with a statewide ranking between 1,228 and 2,097 over the past 10 years. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is significantly lower than the Fullerton Elementary District and the state average, with only 40.65% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, 23.35% in mathematics, and 21.43% on the California Science Test (CAST). However, the school's English Language Learner students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds have shown stronger performance, ranking in the top half of the state.

Compared to nearby schools like Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts and D. Russell Parks Junior High, which outperform Nicolas Junior High in academic achievement, Nicolas Junior High also faces challenges with high rates of chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.4% in 2018-2019 to 21.7% in 2022-2023, and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 89.38% in 2022-2023. Addressing these issues and the needs of underperforming student subgroups should be key focus areas for the school and Fullerton Elementary School District.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 1100 West Olive Ave.
       Fullerton, CA  92833-4132


(714) 447-7775

District: Fullerton Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
1493rd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,994 Help


Feeder schools for Nicolas Junior High:

Elementary:    Golden Hill School for Creative & Performing Arts
    Orangethorpe Elementary
    Pacific Drive Elementary
    Richman Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  20.3 Help
Number of students:  631

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
86.7%
White:
5.1%
Asian:
3.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  89.4% Help


 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare Nicolas Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Nicolas Junior High ranks worse than 53.8% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.18. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Nicolas Junior High has the smallest middle school student body size in the Fullerton Elementary School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (86.7%), White (5.1%), Asian (3.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 89.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Fullerton Elementary School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nicolas Junior High is 20.3, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Nicolas Junior High employs 30.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nicolas Junior High is $5,994, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Fullerton Elementary School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Nicolas Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Nicolas Junior High 1493rd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Nicolas 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:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fullerton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fullerton Elementary 498th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Nicolas Junior High.

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Rank History for Nicolas Junior High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 34.71 1086th 1769 38.6%
2005 38.94 1018th 1777 42.7%
2006 41.64 974th 1804 46.0%
2007 34.26 1278th 1999 36.1%
2008 39.49 1172nd 2005 41.5%
2009 55.09 852nd 2063 58.7%
2010 51.59 998th 2179 54.2%
2011 52.09 1029th 2236 54.0%
2012 44.49 1228th 2259 45.6%
2013 43.82 1324th 2379 44.3%
2015 27.91 1709th 2477 31.0%
2016 24.95 1832nd 2497 26.6%
2017 25.06 1848th 2508 26.3%
2018 27.56 1733rd 2480 30.1%
2019 21.94 2097th 2715 22.8%
2022 28.68 1838th 2740 32.9%
2023 35.66 1609th 2802 42.6%
2024 39.18 1493rd 2777 46.2%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.17 489th 678 27.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.98 475th 1364 65.2%
2019 45.96 521st 1442 63.9%
2022 72.82 161st 1540 89.5%
2023 47.00 518th 1529 66.1%
2024 48.13 486th 1477 67.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.30 1382nd 1538 10.1%
2024 35.69 904th 1550 41.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.98 1494th 2230 33.0%
2019 27.37 1792nd 2369 24.4%
2022 38.38 1387th 2458 43.6%
2023 43.17 1227th 2549 51.9%
2024 46.11 1162nd 2575 54.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.97 1706th 2262 24.6%
2019 21.55 1896th 2380 20.3%
2022 29.89 1668th 2509 33.5%
2023 32.83 1552nd 2547 39.1%
2024 35.88 1476th 2546 42.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.02 1221st 1369 10.8%
2019 28.00 1087th 1491 27.1%
2022 24.76 1271st 1531 17.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.79 1533rd 2273 32.6%
2019 21.20 1936th 2407 19.6%
2022 27.87 1744th 2527 31.0%
2023 37.81 1414th 2558 44.7%
2024 41.13 1306th 2547 48.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.92 381st 700 45.6%
2019 35.95 520th 745 30.2%
2024 68.25 262nd 741 64.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.76 1375th 2072 33.6%
2019 24.93 1712th 2213 22.6%
2022 36.39 1413th 2359 40.1%
2023 40.24 1269th 2391 46.9%
2024 44.66 1130th 2383 52.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Nicolas Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.63 1151st 1496 23.1%
2019 19.52 1313th 1602 18.0%
2023 36.72 971st 1552 37.4%
2024 28.62 1084th 1535 29.4%
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.

Nicolas Junior High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
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100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Open Quote Unfortunately, I have to report this school is poorly run. They lack the proper resources to support the students/families they serve (teachers always asking for supplies). Most students are testing 2/3 grades BELOW their present grade levels. The new principal (less than six months of ever being principal) is pretty green. Lacks proper leadership skills to support her team, team seems fragmented and mostly agitated. The new AP also new and lacks connectives w/students and teachers. The school is 85 Hispanic blue collar working folks (2/3 jobs). The Principal, AP and Special Education team are not able to communicate nor are culturally sensitive to the families or students they serve, only two front office clerks speak Spanish. I have many of my friends who go there too and have TRANSFERRED to another school out b/c they don't feel welcome or leadership team lacks culture sensitivity. I was in a IEP and the AP was not helpful and very rude. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Nicolas Junior High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 387 21 92 225 0 n/a n/a 0 725
1989 333 15 93 221 0 n/a n/a 0 662
1990 347 19 84 284 3 n/a n/a 0 737
1991 324 20 93 294 1 n/a n/a 0 732
1992 315 20 99 289 2 n/a n/a 0 725
1993 328 27 89 323 2 n/a n/a 0 769
1994 355 36 102 384 3 n/a n/a 0 880
1995 457 29 99 370 3 n/a n/a 0 958
1996 457 29 99 370 3 n/a n/a 0 958
1997 380 31 90 414 4 n/a n/a 0 919
1998 424 33 70 463 5 n/a n/a 0 995
1999 384 27 79 506 4 n/a n/a 0 1000
2000 375 33 89 525 1 n/a n/a 0 1023
2001 341 31 82 531 2 n/a n/a 1 988
2002 369 43 87 736 3 n/a n/a 0 1238
2003 369 43 87 736 3 n/a n/a 0 1238
2004 324 39 97 844 4 n/a n/a 1 1309
2005 262 44 87 790 5 n/a n/a 3 1191
2006 220 35 80 740 5 n/a n/a 2 1082
2007 145 22 69 748 2 n/a n/a 41 1027
2008 129 25 55 730 2 n/a n/a 0 941
2009 125 21 43 706 3 7 28 0 933
2010 100 23 43 693 1 6 1 0 867
2011 66 23 39 631 1 4 6 0 770
2012 68 18 37 627 2 0 15 0 767
2013 55 15 36 681 3 0 12 0 802
2014 60 16 35 667 1 0 9 0 788
2015 52 14 44 610 4 1 13 0 738
2016 42 11 43 594 2 2 12 0 706
2017 37 10 38 593 3 3 12 0 696
2018 29 10 30 610 4 3 17 0 703
2019 32 13 31 568 2 2 24 0 672
2020 26 10 36 573 2 0 33 0 680
2021 20 10 35 575 0 1 18 0 659
2022 24 6 23 550 0 4 25 0 632
2023 32 3 24 547 1 3 21 0 631

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 Nicolas Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 725 38.0 19.0 n/a
1989 662 33.7 19.6 n/a
1990 737 36.9 19.9 n/a
1991 732 39.3 18.6 n/a
1992 725 39.9 18.1 33.7
1993 769 38.2 20.1 26.3
1994 880 43.9 20.0 24.8
1995 958 43.5 22.0 19.6
1996 958 43.5 22.0 19.6
1997 919 45.5 20.2 39.9
1998 995 46.0 21.6 34.7
1999 1000 43.0 23.3 42.1
2000 1023 46.0 22.2 42.6
2001 988 43.0 23.0 51.5
2002 1238 52.5 23.6 49
2003 1238 52.5 23.6 49
2004 1309 54.8 23.9 53.1
2005 1191 51.1 23.3 58.8
2006 1082 47.5 22.8 56.5
2007 1027 47.1 21.8 65.8
2008 941 54.1 17.4 74.3
2009 933 39.6 20.5 73.1
2010 867 37.6 23.0 74.5
2011 770 n/a n/a 80.6
2012 767 34.1 22.4 n/a
2013 802 33.6 23.8 81.2
2014 788 34.5 22.8 79.4
2015 738 31.0 23.8 77.2
2016 706 30.0 23.5 80.6
2017 696 29.1 23.8 80.9
2018 703 29.8 23.5 64.6
2019 672 31.7 21.1 85.1
2020 680 n/a n/a 83.4
2021 659 28.6 23.0 84.2
2022 632 30.4 20.7 85.6
2023 631 30.9 20.3 89.4

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 Nicolas Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 725 38.0 19.0 n/a
1989 662 33.7 19.6 n/a
1990 737 36.9 19.9 n/a
1991 732 39.3 18.6 n/a
1992 725 39.9 18.1 33.7
1993 769 38.2 20.1 26.3
1994 880 43.9 20.0 24.8
1995 958 43.5 22.0 19.6
1996 958 43.5 22.0 19.6
1997 919 45.5 20.2 39.9
1998 995 46.0 21.6 34.7
1999 1000 43.0 23.3 42.1
2000 1023 46.0 22.2 42.6
2001 988 43.0 23.0 51.5
2002 1238 52.5 23.6 49
2003 1238 52.5 23.6 49
2004 1309 54.8 23.9 53.1
2005 1191 51.1 23.3 58.8
2006 1082 47.5 22.8 56.5
2007 1027 47.1 21.8 65.8
2008 941 54.1 17.4 74.3
2009 933 39.6 20.5 73.1
2010 867 37.6 23.0 74.5
2011 770 n/a n/a 80.6
2012 767 34.1 22.4 n/a
2013 802 33.6 23.8 81.2
2014 788 34.5 22.8 79.4
2015 738 31.0 23.8 77.2
2016 706 30.0 23.5 80.6
2017 696 29.1 23.8 80.9
2018 703 29.8 23.5 64.6
2019 672 31.7 21.1 85.1
2020 680 n/a n/a 83.4
2021 659 28.6 23.0 84.2
2022 632 30.4 20.7 85.6
2023 631 30.9 20.3 89.4

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 Nicolas Junior High

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $5,994

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Nicolas 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 2097th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 1609th of 2802 Middle schools
 19.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Nicolas Junior High)33.941.7
 7.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fullerton Elementary)58.763.8
 5.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Nicolas Junior High)18.827.9
 9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Fullerton Elementary)47.450
 2.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Nicolas Junior High)3330.6
 2.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fullerton Elementary)56.457.5
 1.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Nicolas Junior High)19.916.7
 3.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Fullerton Elementary)45.543.7
 1.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Nicolas Junior High)11.720.5
 8.8%
   8th Grade Science (Fullerton Elementary)37.339.1
 1.8%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students672631
 6.1%
African American133
 76.9%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian3124
 22.6%
Hispanic568547
 3.7%
Pacific Islander23
 50%
White3232
Two or More Races2421
 12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients85.1%89.4%
 4.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Nicolas Junior High

In the 2022-23 school year, 631 students attended Nicolas Junior High.

Nicolas Junior High ranks 1493rd of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Nicolas Junior High are 87% Hispanic, 5% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races.


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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.





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