Is Sal Castro Middle a good school?

Sal Castro Middle ranks in the bottom 12.0% of California middle schools.

How many students attend Sal Castro Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 329 students attended Sal Castro Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Sal Castro Middle?

Students at Sal Castro Middle are 100% Not Specified.

What high school do graduates of Sal Castro Middle attend?

Students who attend Sal Castro Middle usually go on to attend Belmont Senior High

Sal Castro Middle

Summary:

Sal Castro Middle is a public middle school in Los Angeles, California, serving 329 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is ranked 871 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Sal Castro Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of California middle schools over the past decade, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years.

Sal Castro Middle faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 13.3% to 33.3% over the past 5 years, well above district and state averages. Academically, the school's students perform significantly below their peers, with only 22.22% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 12.14% proficient in math, compared to 43.06% and 32.83% in the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% statewide. The school's subgroups, including female, male, Hispanic, English Learner, Special Education, and low-socioeconomic status students, all perform poorly compared to their peers in the district and state.

While the nearby Young Oak Kim Academy, Virgil Middle, and Berendo Middle schools perform better than Sal Castro Middle, they still struggle compared to district and state averages. However, the charter schools in the area, such as Monsenor Oscar Romero Charter Middle, Para Los Ninos Middle, Equitas Academy 4, and Equitas Academy #2, generally perform better than Sal Castro Middle, suggesting that the charter school model may be providing some benefits to students in the area.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1575 West 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90026-5701

(213) 241-4416

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2444^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,094

Students who attend Sal Castro Middle usually attend:

High:	Belmont Senior High
	Contreras Learning Center-Academic Leadership Community
	Contreras Learning Center-Los Angeles School of Global Studies
	Contreras Learning Center-School of Social Justice
	More...
	Edward R. Roybal Learning Center
	School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex

Feeder schools for Sal Castro Middle:

Elementary:	Betty Plasencia Elementary
	Union Avenue Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

Number of students: 329

Racial breakdown:

Not Specified:

100.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.5%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Sal Castro Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sal Castro Middle ranks worse than 88% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 74^th among 83 ranked middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.66. (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

Compare Details 98.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sal Castro Middle is 16.7, which is the 17^th best among 83 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Sal Castro Middle employs 19.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sal Castro Middle is $11,094, which is the 32^nd highest among 83 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sal Castro Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Sal Castro Middle 2444^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Sal Castro Middle 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:

Hispanic students:

Los Angeles Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Los Angeles Unified 871^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sal Castro Middle

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Rank History for all students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2011	34.32	1525^th	2236	31.8%
2012	31.81	1590^th	2259	29.6%
2013	32.32	1635^th	2379	31.3%
2015	14.46	2211^th	2477	10.7%
2016	10.90	2316^th	2497	7.2%
2017	11.73	2329^th	2508	7.1%
2018	13.77	2221^st	2480	10.4%
2019	16.30	2341^st	2715	13.8%
2022	21.22	2163^rd	2740	21.1%
2023	19.80	2284^th	2802	18.5%
2024	15.66	2444^th	2777	12.0%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.75	1314^th	1364	3.7%
2019	27.88	1239^th	1442	14.1%
2022	28.04	1327^th	1540	13.8%
2023	24.33	1505^th	1529	1.6%
2024	33.46	1044^th	1477	29.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.50	1435^th	1538	6.7%
2024	16.53	1545^th	1550	0.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.90	1935^th	2230	13.2%
2019	22.99	1927^th	2369	18.7%
2022	30.00	1698^th	2458	30.9%
2023	26.35	1909^th	2549	25.1%
2024	20.17	2171^st	2575	15.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.25	1997^th	2262	11.7%
2019	18.38	2003^rd	2380	15.8%
2022	18.19	2150^th	2509	14.3%
2023	18.17	2163^rd	2547	15.1%
2024	16.12	2253^rd	2546	11.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.80	1152^nd	1369	15.9%
2019	16.74	1486^th	1491	0.3%
2022	29.52	1075^th	1531	29.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.26	2147^th	2273	5.5%
2019	13.15	2216^th	2407	7.9%
2022	25.65	1816^th	2527	28.1%
2023	22.99	1957^th	2558	23.5%
2024	15.82	2248^th	2547	11.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sal Castro Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.82	1796^th	2072	13.3%
2019	20.31	1881^st	2213	15.0%
2022	30.10	1621^st	2359	31.3%
2023	26.95	1766^th	2391	26.1%
2024	20.15	2009^th	2383	15.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic 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 Sal Castro Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	0	11	14	397	0	0	6	0	428
2011	0	8	24	394	1	0	0	0	427
2012	3	11	22	473	1	0	0	0	510
2013	4	16	22	466	1	2	0	0	511
2014	1	10	23	436	1	0	0	0	471
2015	1	9	23	375	0	0	3	0	411
2016	2	8	21	311	0	0	3	0	345
2017	4	9	14	327	0	0	1	0	355
2018	8	8	10	307	0	0	1	0	334
2019	3	7	11	293	1	0	0	0	315
2020	2	5	11	283	1	0	0	0	302
2021	4	10	6	301	0	1	1	0	323
2022	2	12	6	309	0	1	1	0	331
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	329	329

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 Sal Castro Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	428	22.0	19.4	87.4
2011	427	n/a	n/a	56.7
2012	510	21.5	23.6	n/a
2013	511	19.3	26.4	54.2
2014	471	17.8	26.4	89
2015	411	18.0	22.8	92.9
2016	345	16.0	21.5	89.6
2017	355	17.5	20.2	93
2018	334	17.5	19.0	98.8
2019	315	18.0	17.5	95.9
2020	302	n/a	n/a	94.7
2021	323	18.3	17.6	98.5
2022	331	19.3	17.1	98.8
2023	329	19.5	16.7	98.5

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 Sal Castro Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	428	22.0	19.4	87.4
2011	427	n/a	n/a	56.7
2012	510	21.5	23.6	n/a
2013	511	19.3	26.4	54.2
2014	471	17.8	26.4	89
2015	411	18.0	22.8	92.9
2016	345	16.0	21.5	89.6
2017	355	17.5	20.2	93
2018	334	17.5	19.0	98.8
2019	315	18.0	17.5	95.9
2020	302	n/a	n/a	94.7
2021	323	18.3	17.6	98.5
2022	331	19.3	17.1	98.8
2023	329	19.5	16.7	98.5

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 Sal Castro Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,094

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sal Castro 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 2341^st of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2284^th of 2802 Middle schools	4.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sal Castro Middle)	21.5	22	0.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	41.2	38.6	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Sal Castro Middle)	20	8.7	11.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	32.5	28.1	4.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sal Castro Middle)	21.3	26.7	5.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	43.7	40.8	2.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Sal Castro Middle)	11.3	16.2	4.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	30.5	27.5	3%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sal Castro Middle)	31.4	28	3.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	41.1	38.9	2.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Sal Castro Middle)	19.7	16.5	3.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	29.2	23.7	5.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Sal Castro Middle)	10.6	11.5	1%
8th Grade Science (Los Angeles Unified)	23.1	20.9	2.2%
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	315	329	4.4%
African American	7	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	11	0	100%
Hispanic	293	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95.9%	98.5%	2.6%

Schools Near Sal Castro Middle

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 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 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
Sal Castro Middle	Public	6-8	1575 West 2nd St.	Los Angeles	90026	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 241-4416	329	20	16.7	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15.7	2444^th of 2777 public middle schools	12.0%		19.8	2284^th of 2802 public middle schools	18.5%	160				0.0		7.5	7.5		24.7	23.6	18.6	22.2		11.7	16.1	8.4	12.1	$11,094
John H. Liechty Middle	Public	6-8	650 South Union Ave.	Los Angeles	90017	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 989-1200	851	42	20.0	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.5	2365^th of 2777 public middle schools	14.8%		16.3	2453^rd of 2802 public middle schools	12.5%	88	0.0	0.0	7.1	2.0		9.7	9.7		25.3	25.9	24.2	25.1		10.9	14.1	11.6	12.2	$11,367
Equitas Academy 4	Public, Charter	5-8	2501 West 7th St.	Los Angeles	90057	Los Angeles County	Equitas Academy 4 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-5934	390	18	21.3	92.6%	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.8%)	370 (94.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	41.6	1405^th of 2777 public middle schools	49.4%		36.1	1589^th of 2802 public middle schools	43.3%	184					15.2	32.5	22.9	36.8	44.1	43.0	47.6	42.8	12.5	12.5	22.8	19.3	16.7
Vista Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	2900 West Temple St.	Los Angeles	90026	Los Angeles County	Vista Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-4000	354	12	28.9	93.2%	4 (1.1%)	5 (1.4%)	324 (91.5%)	14 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	24.1	2077^th of 2777 public middle schools	25.2%		17.8	2386^th of 2802 public middle schools	14.8%	309						8.7	8.7		34.2	24.1	27.4	28.4		31.1	16.7	9.7	18.9
Equitas Academy #2	Public, Charter	5-8	2723 West 8th St.	Los Angeles	90005	Los Angeles County	Equitas Academy #2 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-5940	388	17	22.4	92.0%	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	380 (97.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30.1	1805^th of 2777 public middle schools	35.0%		28.4	1884^th of 2802 public middle schools	32.8%	79					23.6	18.9	21.4	34.3	25.9	28.9	38.9	31.8	23.8	18.6	29.4	18.9	22.4
Rise Kohyang Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	3020 Wilshire Blvd. 2nd Fl.	Los Angeles	90013	Los Angeles County	Rise Kohyang Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(424) 789-8338	339	16	21.1	93.2%	2 (0.6%)	17 (5.0%)	245 (72.3%)	72 (21.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43	1368^th of 2777 public middle schools	50.7%		40.1	1456^th of 2802 public middle schools	48.0%	88						23.6	23.6		50.0	39.3	44.8	44.0		23.3	24.1	24.0	23.9
Young Oak Kim Academy	Public	6-8	615 South Shatto Pl.	Los Angeles	90005	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 739-6500	786	38	20.5	99.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30.2	1799^th of 2777 public middle schools	35.2%		23	2141^st of 2802 public middle schools	23.6%	342						15.5	15.5		33.3	40.7	39.4	37.7		15.6	21.9	12.8	16.6	$8,719
Virgil Middle	Public	6-8	152 North Vermont Ave.	Los Angeles	90004	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 368-2800	1,017	56	18.0	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.5	1153^rd of 2777 public middle schools	58.5%		42.4	1393^rd of 2802 public middle schools	50.3%	240				0.0		22.0	22.0		41.7	39.9	43.7	41.9		39.3	32.7	35.6	35.8	$9,964
Monsenor Oscar Romero Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	2670 West 11th St.	Los Angeles	90035	Los Angeles County	Monsenor Oscar Romero Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 413-9600	277	15	18.1	89.2%	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.4%)	271 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	17.1	2386^th of 2777 public middle schools	14.1%		15	2511^th of 2802 public middle schools	10.4%	125						9.4	9.4		29.6	24.5	28.3	27.2		11.3	10.4	6.6	9.2
Berendo Middle	Public	6-8	1157 South Berendo St.	Los Angeles	90006	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 739-5600	623	37	17.0	98.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.3	2064^th of 2777 public middle schools	25.7%		20.5	2244^th of 2802 public middle schools	19.9%	180	0.0	0.0	2.6	1.2		16.7	16.7		29.9	21.9	23.1	24.8		20.3	19.5	20.1	20.0	$11,464

Sal Castro Middle

Sal Castro Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Los Angeles Unified:

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Rank History for Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for all students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Female students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Male students at Sal Castro Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sal Castro Middle

Enrollment information for Sal Castro Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sal Castro Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Sal Castro Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sal Castro Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Sal Castro Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sal Castro Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Sal Castro Middle

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