Is La Contenta Middle a good school?

La Contenta Middle ranks 1871 st of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend La Contenta Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 645 students attended La Contenta Middle.

What is the racial makeup of La Contenta Middle?

Students at La Contenta Middle are 54% White, 35% Hispanic, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of La Contenta Middle attend?

Students who attend La Contenta Middle usually go on to attend Yucca Valley High

La Contenta Middle

Summary:

La Contenta Middle is a public middle school in Yucca Valley, California, serving 650 students in grades 7-8 and part of the Morongo Unified School District. The school faces significant academic challenges, with consistently lower performance on state assessments compared to the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 33.39% of La Contenta Middle students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 35.78% in the district and 47.04% statewide.

Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern at La Contenta Middle, with 45.1% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year, a significant increase from 22.9% the previous year. In comparison, the nearby Twentynine Palms Junior High had a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 33.9%. Additionally, La Contenta Middle has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 71.69% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, which may contribute to the school's academic challenges.

While La Contenta Middle faces significant obstacles, nearby schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District, such as Desert Springs Middle and Painted Hills Middle, have even higher percentages of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 99% and 98.25% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, respectively. Addressing the underlying causes of La Contenta Middle's academic and attendance challenges, while also providing targeted resources and support, could be crucial in improving the school's overall performance and ensuring a quality education for its students.

Detail:

Public 7-8

7050 La Contenta Rd.
Yucca Valley, CA 92284-7303

(760) 228-1802

District: Morongo Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1871^st of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,052

Students who attend La Contenta Middle usually attend:

High:

Yucca Valley High

Feeder schools for La Contenta Middle:

Elementary:	Friendly Hills Elementary
	Joshua Tree Elementary
	Landers Elementary
	Morongo Valley Elementary
	More...
	Onaga Elementary
	Yucca Mesa Elementary
	Yucca Valley Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 18.2

Number of students: 645

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.4%

Hispanic:

34.6%

African American:

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.9%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare La Contenta Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Contenta Middle ranks worse than 67.4% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.57. (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 (54.4%), Hispanic (34.6%), African American (5.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Contenta Middle is 18.2. (See more...)

Compare La Contenta Middle employs 35.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Contenta Middle is $7,052.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Contenta Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks La Contenta Middle 1871^st of 2777 California public middle schools. (See La Contenta 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:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Morongo Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Morongo Unified 1036^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for La Contenta Middle

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Rank History for all students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	28.48	1226^th	1769	30.7%
2005	37.32	1056^th	1777	40.6%
2006	50.07	815^th	1804	54.8%
2007	45.38	994^th	1999	50.3%
2008	39.14	1183^rd	2005	41.0%
2009	36.88	1283^rd	2063	37.8%
2010	38.61	1349^th	2179	38.1%
2011	31.38	1608^th	2236	28.1%
2012	53.46	1010^th	2259	55.3%
2013	67.51	668^th	2379	71.9%
2015	48.85	1128^th	2477	54.5%
2016	55.60	969^th	2497	61.2%
2017	40.79	1378^th	2508	45.1%
2018	31.05	1627^th	2480	34.4%
2019	30.54	1771^st	2715	34.8%
2021	17.91	773^rd	894	13.5%
2022	24.36	2020^th	2740	26.3%
2023	26.82	1963^rd	2802	29.9%
2024	28.57	1871^st	2777	32.6%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.96	1047^th	1364	23.2%
2019	23.74	1417^th	1442	1.7%
2022	35.33	956^th	1540	37.9%
2023	25.93	1447^th	1529	5.4%
2024	29.50	1252^nd	1477	15.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.50	1131^st	1538	26.5%
2024	24.76	1286^th	1550	17.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.37	1443^rd	2230	35.3%
2019	34.10	1522^nd	2369	35.8%
2021	26.91	574^th	721	20.4%
2022	30.37	1685^th	2458	31.4%
2023	30.33	1748^th	2549	31.4%
2024	29.49	1797^th	2575	30.2%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.52	244^th	321	24.0%
2024	27.62	303^rd	394	23.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.17	1529^th	2262	32.4%
2019	31.85	1563^rd	2380	34.3%
2021	14.15	688^th	738	6.8%
2022	22.55	1948^th	2509	22.4%
2023	25.85	1847^th	2547	27.5%
2024	26.17	1842^nd	2546	27.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.44	937^th	1369	31.6%
2019	22.35	1323^rd	1491	11.3%
2021	24.91	310^th	354	12.4%
2022	22.12	1388^th	1531	9.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.41	1543^rd	2273	32.1%
2019	27.51	1704^th	2407	29.2%
2021	23.49	599^th	763	21.5%
2022	26.50	1789^th	2527	29.2%
2023	27.72	1759^th	2558	31.2%
2024	30.90	1644^th	2547	35.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.93	512^th	600	14.7%
2022	36.46	389^th	637	38.9%
2023	37.63	366^th	614	40.4%
2024	53.06	244^th	626	61.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.34	1321^st	2072	36.2%
2019	31.15	1503^rd	2213	32.1%
2022	25.14	1815^th	2359	23.1%
2023	30.38	1623^rd	2391	32.1%
2024	32.73	1537^th	2383	35.5%

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

Rank History for White students at La Contenta Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.07	1288^th	1496	13.9%
2019	16.03	1369^th	1602	14.5%
2022	11.91	1423^rd	1555	8.5%
2023	12.70	1389^th	1552	10.5%
2024	11.55	1393^rd	1535	9.3%

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 La Contenta Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	594	4	10	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	658
1989	635	10	6	51	0	n/a	n/a	0	702
1990	669	12	9	79	3	n/a	n/a	0	772
1991	766	9	4	88	5	n/a	n/a	0	872
1992	742	19	8	106	3	n/a	n/a	0	878
1993	738	28	13	127	4	n/a	n/a	0	910
1994	749	24	13	131	6	n/a	n/a	0	923
1995	643	17	17	107	7	n/a	n/a	0	791
1996	643	17	17	107	7	n/a	n/a	0	791
1997	592	28	16	109	3	n/a	n/a	0	748
1998	641	23	19	117	6	n/a	n/a	0	806
1999	687	32	19	122	10	n/a	n/a	0	870
2000	661	21	17	130	10	n/a	n/a	8	847
2001	648	18	14	142	9	n/a	n/a	6	837
2002	632	32	18	139	12	n/a	n/a	4	837
2003	632	32	18	139	12	n/a	n/a	4	837
2004	615	25	18	154	8	n/a	n/a	32	852
2005	537	31	14	147	7	n/a	n/a	44	780
2006	562	40	12	139	12	n/a	n/a	48	813
2007	524	33	21	170	14	n/a	n/a	47	809
2008	509	39	22	186	11	n/a	n/a	0	767
2009	505	35	13	206	11	2	50	0	822
2010	556	30	10	230	11	3	31	0	871
2011	538	25	12	244	9	3	30	0	861
2012	452	35	10	219	3	3	27	0	749
2013	462	30	12	231	4	2	28	0	769
2014	473	26	16	262	2	2	26	0	807
2015	448	27	16	231	0	4	26	0	752
2016	445	37	8	218	2	4	29	0	743
2017	437	33	12	237	3	4	23	0	749
2018	422	31	21	243	8	2	7	0	734
2019	458	30	24	270	4	2	2	0	790
2020	452	33	23	271	6	5	2	0	792
2021	401	36	19	267	5	3	2	0	733
2022	383	44	17	262	4	3	6	0	719
2023	350	35	18	237	2	2	6	0	650
2024	351	34	11	223	7	4	14	1	645

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 La Contenta Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	658	27.0	24.3	n/a
1989	702	32.0	21.9	n/a
1990	772	35.0	22.0	n/a
1991	872	38.0	22.9	n/a
1992	878	38.6	22.7	34.2
1993	910	40.0	22.8	49.6
1994	923	41.0	22.5	44.3
1995	791	36.0	22.0	44.2
1996	791	36.0	22.0	44.2
1997	748	36.0	20.8	49.6
1998	806	39.4	20.5	53.3
1999	870	40.8	21.3	49.4
2000	847	39.8	21.3	47.3
2001	837	40.5	20.7	46
2002	837	38.0	22.0	38.3
2003	837	38.0	22.0	38.3
2004	852	38.0	22.4	35.9
2005	780	36.0	21.7	62
2006	813	36.0	22.6	59.1
2007	809	36.0	22.5	58
2008	767	46.0	16.7	62.7
2009	822	39.8	17.5	67.4
2010	871	38.0	22.9	70.3
2011	861	n/a	n/a	69.6
2012	749	37.1	20.1	n/a
2013	769	32.5	23.6	70.6
2014	807	33.4	24.1	67.5
2015	752	29.0	25.9	72.6
2016	743	32.0	23.2	70.5
2017	749	31.3	23.8	70.2
2018	734	31.8	23.0	72.3
2019	790	33.0	23.9	73.3
2020	792	n/a	n/a	75.3
2021	733	32.9	22.2	79.1
2022	719	33.4	21.4	75.5
2023	650	30.9	21.0	71.7
2024	645	35.2	18.2	71.9

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 La Contenta Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	658	27.0	24.3	n/a
1989	702	32.0	21.9	n/a
1990	772	35.0	22.0	n/a
1991	872	38.0	22.9	n/a
1992	878	38.6	22.7	34.2
1993	910	40.0	22.8	49.6
1994	923	41.0	22.5	44.3
1995	791	36.0	22.0	44.2
1996	791	36.0	22.0	44.2
1997	748	36.0	20.8	49.6
1998	806	39.4	20.5	53.3
1999	870	40.8	21.3	49.4
2000	847	39.8	21.3	47.3
2001	837	40.5	20.7	46
2002	837	38.0	22.0	38.3
2003	837	38.0	22.0	38.3
2004	852	38.0	22.4	35.9
2005	780	36.0	21.7	62
2006	813	36.0	22.6	59.1
2007	809	36.0	22.5	58
2008	767	46.0	16.7	62.7
2009	822	39.8	17.5	67.4
2010	871	38.0	22.9	70.3
2011	861	n/a	n/a	69.6
2012	749	37.1	20.1	n/a
2013	769	32.5	23.6	70.6
2014	807	33.4	24.1	67.5
2015	752	29.0	25.9	72.6
2016	743	32.0	23.2	70.5
2017	749	31.3	23.8	70.2
2018	734	31.8	23.0	72.3
2019	790	33.0	23.9	73.3
2020	792	n/a	n/a	75.3
2021	733	32.9	22.2	79.1
2022	719	33.4	21.4	75.5
2023	650	30.9	21.0	71.7
2024	645	35.2	18.2	71.9

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 La Contenta Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,052

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Contenta 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 1771^st of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1963^rd of 2802 Middle schools	4.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Contenta Middle)	42.8	29.3	13.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Morongo Unified)	43.6	31.9	11.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (La Contenta Middle)	27.1	18.3	8.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Morongo Unified)	29.1	17.2	11.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Contenta Middle)	37	30.5	6.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Morongo Unified)	38.1	29.5	8.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (La Contenta Middle)	17.3	10.4	6.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Morongo Unified)	20.5	10.2	10.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (La Contenta Middle)	18.3	22.9	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Morongo Unified)	22.3	22.3	0%
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	790	650	17.7%
African American	30	35	16.7%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	24	18	25%
Hispanic	270	237	12.2%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	458	350	23.6%
Two or More Races	2	6	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.3%	71.7%	1.6%

Schools Near La Contenta 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 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
La Contenta Middle	Public	7-8	7050 La Contenta Rd.	Yucca Valley	92284	San Bernardino County	Morongo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 228-1802	645	35	18.2	71.9%	351 (54.4%)	34 (5.3%)	223 (34.6%)	11 (1.7%)	7 (1.1%)	4 (0.6%)	14 (2.2%)	28.6	1871^st of 2777 public middle schools	32.6%		26.8	1963^rd of 2802 public middle schools	29.9%	92	18.8	18.8		33.6	33.2	33.4		20.6	14.0	17.5	$7,052
Painted Hills Middle	Public	6-8	9250 Sonora Dr.	Desert Hot Springs	92240	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 251-1551	744	35	21.1	96.5%	79 (10.6%)	39 (5.2%)	590 (79.3%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.2%)	16.5	2412^th of 2777 public middle schools	13.1%		17.8	2388^th of 2802 public middle schools	14.8%	24	11.2	11.2	27.2	22.2	24.1	24.5	11.7	8.6	10.7	10.4	$13,527
Desert Springs Middle	Public	6-8	66-755 Two Bunch Palms Trail	Desert Hot Springs	92240	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 251-7200	740	33	22.2	96.9%	52 (7.0%)	33 (4.5%)	624 (84.3%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	17 (2.3%)	16.6	2409^th of 2777 public middle schools	13.3%		15.3	2497^th of 2802 public middle schools	10.9%	88	13.2	13.2	19.7	23.6	21.4	21.6	15.7	12.0	9.5	12.4	$12,837
Twentynine Palms Junior High	Public	7-8	5798 Utah Trail	Twentynine Palms	92277	San Bernardino County	Morongo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 367-9507	415	21	20.0	57.3%	157 (37.8%)	60 (14.5%)	147 (35.4%)	22 (5.3%)	3 (0.7%)	11 (2.7%)	14 (3.4%)	37.5	1543^rd of 2777 public middle schools	44.4%		26.4	1976^th of 2802 public middle schools	29.5%	433	30.0	30.0		35.8	37.8	36.8		21.1	19.2	20.2	$7,036

La Contenta Middle

La Contenta Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Morongo Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for La Contenta Middle

Rank History for all students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Homeless students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Female students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Male students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for African American students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Contenta Middle

Rank History for White students at La Contenta Middle

Enrollment information for La Contenta Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Contenta Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio La Contenta Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Contenta Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on La Contenta Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near La Contenta Middle