Portola Middle

Summary:

Portola Middle is a public middle school located in Orange, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 597 students. The school is part of the Orange Unified School District, which is ranked 517 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Portola Middle consistently underperforms compared to the Orange Unified district and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 28.97% of Portola Middle students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 57.53% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 15.52% at Portola Middle, while the district and state had rates of 45.47% and 35.54%, respectively. Portola Middle has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.1% in 2017-2018 to 36.9% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average of 16.1%.

Portola Middle has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 91.29% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. This is significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with male students and Hispanic students performing significantly lower than their peers in Cerro Villa Middle and Yorba Middle, which are also part of the Orange Unified School District.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 270 North Palm Dr.
       Orange, CA  92868-2428


(714) 997-6361

District: Orange Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2142nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,138 Help


Students who attend Portola Middle usually attend:

High:    Orange High

Feeder schools for Portola Middle:

Elementary:    Fairhaven Elementary
    Lampson Elementary
    Sycamore Elementary
    West Orange Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  21.9 Help
Number of students:  597

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
84.6%
Asian:
6.7%
White:
4.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Portola Middle ranks worse than 77.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Orange Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.51. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (84.6%), Asian (6.7%), White (4%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 91.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Orange Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portola Middle is 21.9, which is the 2nd best among 4 middle schools in the Orange Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Portola Middle employs 27.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portola Middle is $6,138, which is the 2nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Orange Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Portola Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Portola Middle 2142nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Portola 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:


Orange Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Orange Unified 517th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Portola Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 25.79 1300th 1769 26.5%
2005 24.56 1346th 1777 24.3%
2006 31.41 1218th 1804 32.5%
2007 29.17 1412th 1999 29.4%
2008 25.87 1541st 2005 23.1%
2009 42.86 1133rd 2063 45.1%
2010 35.52 1429th 2179 34.4%
2011 41.09 1333rd 2236 40.4%
2012 46.91 1168th 2259 48.3%
2013 42.59 1361st 2379 42.8%
2015 33.30 1521st 2477 38.6%
2016 26.87 1765th 2497 29.3%
2017 27.18 1754th 2508 30.1%
2018 24.46 1841st 2480 25.8%
2019 24.22 2017th 2715 25.7%
2022 24.56 2015th 2740 26.5%
2023 23.75 2115th 2802 24.5%
2024 22.51 2142nd 2777 22.9%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.06 671st 1364 50.8%
2019 36.07 832nd 1442 42.3%
2022 36.47 916th 1540 40.5%
2023 31.79 1136th 1529 25.7%
2024 38.97 773rd 1477 47.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.56 1484th 1538 3.5%
2024 24.49 1296th 1550 16.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.62 1575th 2230 29.4%
2019 29.27 1716th 2369 27.6%
2022 35.22 1499th 2458 39.0%
2023 28.54 1821st 2549 28.6%
2024 27.92 1864th 2575 27.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.56 1755th 2262 22.4%
2019 20.60 1923rd 2380 19.2%
2022 21.42 2012th 2509 19.8%
2023 19.43 2116th 2547 16.9%
2024 17.56 2194th 2546 13.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.46 1200th 1369 12.3%
2019 30.14 1029th 1491 31.0%
2022 26.25 1211th 1531 20.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.81 1658th 2273 27.1%
2019 27.09 1720th 2407 28.5%
2022 28.36 1723rd 2527 31.8%
2023 28.65 1716th 2558 32.9%
2024 27.99 1751st 2547 31.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.61 591st 700 15.6%
2019 23.36 604th 745 18.9%
2022 44.19 464th 733 36.7%
2023 37.30 502nd 718 30.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.08 1622nd 2072 21.7%
2019 23.77 1765th 2213 20.2%
2022 26.85 1750th 2359 25.8%
2023 24.95 1840th 2391 23.0%
2024 26.28 1785th 2383 25.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Portola Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.19 828th 1496 44.7%
2019 33.91 1069th 1602 33.3%
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.

Portola Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Portola Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 273 20 74 141 2 n/a n/a 0 510
1989 258 11 68 193 2 n/a n/a 0 532
1990 262 22 67 239 2 n/a n/a 0 592
1991 240 27 81 262 4 n/a n/a 0 614
1992 253 37 116 352 3 n/a n/a 0 761
1993 214 41 118 388 4 n/a n/a 0 765
1994 201 32 119 406 4 n/a n/a 0 762
1995 141 39 144 489 6 n/a n/a 0 819
1996 141 39 144 489 6 n/a n/a 0 819
1997 160 41 154 508 6 n/a n/a 0 869
1998 174 32 136 588 5 n/a n/a 0 935
1999 144 21 132 563 6 n/a n/a 0 866
2000 125 20 143 553 4 n/a n/a 0 845
2001 114 24 117 625 1 n/a n/a 0 881
2002 100 19 120 703 9 n/a n/a 7 958
2003 100 19 120 703 9 n/a n/a 7 958
2004 106 16 119 690 8 n/a n/a 5 944
2005 99 17 120 685 7 n/a n/a 7 935
2006 85 25 107 697 8 n/a n/a 12 934
2007 76 17 116 657 6 n/a n/a 11 883
2008 59 18 111 647 6 n/a n/a 0 841
2009 42 10 100 621 8 7 15 0 803
2010 59 14 92 580 8 19 14 0 786
2011 55 19 84 599 2 9 13 0 781
2012 40 13 66 662 1 4 8 0 794
2013 33 14 64 609 0 2 15 0 737
2014 33 10 70 634 0 1 7 0 755
2015 37 7 70 612 0 2 7 0 735
2016 35 5 56 591 1 2 11 0 701
2017 37 11 51 585 0 3 7 0 694
2018 38 8 60 597 1 5 3 0 712
2019 37 12 63 542 1 2 7 0 664
2020 24 12 61 553 1 2 6 0 659
2021 25 14 50 544 0 2 11 0 646
2022 17 7 42 511 0 4 16 0 597
2023 24 9 40 505 0 2 15 2 597

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 Portola Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 510 23.9 21.3 n/a
1989 532 23.2 22.9 n/a
1990 592 26.7 22.1 n/a
1991 614 28.4 21.6 n/a
1992 761 28.9 26.3 52
1993 765 33.7 22.7 60.1
1994 762 30.4 25.1 60
1995 819 34.5 23.7 73.6
1996 819 34.5 23.7 73.6
1997 869 34.0 25.6 72.3
1998 935 34.2 27.3 66.7
1999 866 35.5 24.4 71.8
2000 845 49.5 17.1 73.3
2001 881 42.4 20.8 73.8
2002 958 44.2 21.7 72.2
2003 958 44.2 21.7 72.2
2004 944 38.4 24.6 72.4
2005 935 44.1 21.2 76.2
2006 934 39.0 23.9 75.6
2007 883 35.4 24.9 77.5
2008 841 39.4 21.3 75
2009 803 38.5 18.3 76.7
2010 786 42.0 18.7 80.7
2011 781 n/a n/a 71.1
2012 794 41.0 19.3 n/a
2013 737 40.0 18.3 91.2
2014 755 38.0 19.8 86.1
2015 735 37.0 19.8 84.8
2016 701 33.0 21.2 78
2017 694 31.4 22.1 79.3
2018 712 33.0 21.5 84.3
2019 664 33.0 20.1 82.5
2020 659 n/a n/a 80.6
2021 646 30.0 21.5 70
2022 597 29.0 20.5 64.2
2023 597 27.1 21.9 91.3

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 Portola Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 510 23.9 21.3 n/a
1989 532 23.2 22.9 n/a
1990 592 26.7 22.1 n/a
1991 614 28.4 21.6 n/a
1992 761 28.9 26.3 52
1993 765 33.7 22.7 60.1
1994 762 30.4 25.1 60
1995 819 34.5 23.7 73.6
1996 819 34.5 23.7 73.6
1997 869 34.0 25.6 72.3
1998 935 34.2 27.3 66.7
1999 866 35.5 24.4 71.8
2000 845 49.5 17.1 73.3
2001 881 42.4 20.8 73.8
2002 958 44.2 21.7 72.2
2003 958 44.2 21.7 72.2
2004 944 38.4 24.6 72.4
2005 935 44.1 21.2 76.2
2006 934 39.0 23.9 75.6
2007 883 35.4 24.9 77.5
2008 841 39.4 21.3 75
2009 803 38.5 18.3 76.7
2010 786 42.0 18.7 80.7
2011 781 n/a n/a 71.1
2012 794 41.0 19.3 n/a
2013 737 40.0 18.3 91.2
2014 755 38.0 19.8 86.1
2015 735 37.0 19.8 84.8
2016 701 33.0 21.2 78
2017 694 31.4 22.1 79.3
2018 712 33.0 21.5 84.3
2019 664 33.0 20.1 82.5
2020 659 n/a n/a 80.6
2021 646 30.0 21.5 70
2022 597 29.0 20.5 64.2
2023 597 27.1 21.9 91.3

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 Portola Middle

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,138

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Portola 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 2017th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2115th of 2802 Middle schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Portola Middle)35.529
 6.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orange Unified)59.256.8
 2.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Portola Middle)24.814.5
 10.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Orange Unified)47.644.1
 3.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Portola Middle)3423
 10.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orange Unified)58.754.1
 4.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Portola Middle)18.911.4
 7.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Orange Unified)45.240.1
 5.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Portola Middle)29.529.5
 0%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orange Unified)56.456.8
 0.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Portola Middle)23.618.9
 4.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Orange Unified)48.344.6
 3.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Portola Middle)15.819.3
 3.6%
   8th Grade Science (Orange Unified)32.939.1
 6.2%
   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 Students664597
 10.1%
African American129
 25%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian6340
 36.5%
Hispanic542505
 6.8%
Pacific Islander22
White3724
 35.1%
Two or More Races715
 114.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients82.5%91.3%
 8.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Portola Middle

Portola Middle ranks in the bottom 22.9% of California middle schools.

Students who attend Portola Middle usually go on to attend Orange High

Students at Portola Middle are 85% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 4% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 597 students attended Portola 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.





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