Is Reef Sunset Middle a good school?

Reef Sunset Middle ranks in the bottom 5.5% of California middle schools.

How many students attend Reef Sunset Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 562 students attended Reef Sunset Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Reef Sunset Middle?

Students at Reef Sunset Middle are 97% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Reef Sunset Middle attend?

Students who attend Reef Sunset Middle usually go on to attend Avenal High

Reef Sunset Middle

Summary:

Reef Sunset Middle is a public middle school located in Avenal, California, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 562 students. The school is part of the Reef-Sunset Unified School District, which is ranked 1467 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Reef Sunset Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of California middle schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 2,225 and 2,680 out of around 2,800 schools. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as female students, male students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Academically, Reef Sunset Middle's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are all below 20%, significantly below the state averages of around 45-47% for ELA, 31-36% for Math, and 29-31% for Science. The school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 3.2% in 2018-2019 to 20.5% in 2022-2023.

The two nearest middle schools, Coalinga Middle and Huron Middle, both part of the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District, perform similarly to Reef Sunset Middle, with low statewide rankings and academic proficiency rates. This suggests that the challenges faced by Reef Sunset Middle may be systemic within the region, and addressing the high chronic absenteeism rate and supporting the school's high-need student population should be key priorities for the district and school leadership.

Detail:

Public 6-8

608 North First Ave.
Avenal, CA 93204-1071

(559) 386-4128

District: Reef-Sunset Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2623^rd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,074

Students who attend Reef Sunset Middle usually attend:

High:

Avenal High

Feeder schools for Reef Sunset Middle:

Elementary:	Avenal Elementary
	Tamarack Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 20.9

Number of students: 562

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.2%

White:

1.2%

Asian:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.3%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Reef Sunset Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Reef Sunset Middle ranks worse than 94.5% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.01. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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: Hispanic (97.2%), Asian (1.2%), White (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Reef Sunset Middle is 20.9. (See more...)

Compare Reef Sunset Middle employs 26.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Reef Sunset Middle is $8,074.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Reef Sunset Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Reef Sunset Middle 2623^rd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Reef Sunset 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:

Migrant students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Reef-Sunset Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Reef-Sunset Unified 1467^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Reef Sunset Middle

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Rank History for all students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	11.10	1653^rd	1769	6.6%
2005	10.55	1666^th	1777	6.2%
2006	9.44	1696^th	1804	6.0%
2007	9.88	1872^nd	1999	6.4%
2008	8.38	1904^th	2005	5.0%
2009	11.16	1910^th	2063	7.4%
2010	11.42	2027^th	2179	7.0%
2011	13.04	2040^th	2236	8.8%
2012	9.42	2125^th	2259	5.9%
2013	7.26	2285^th	2379	4.0%
2015	13.35	2248^th	2477	9.2%
2016	12.07	2286^th	2497	8.5%
2017	14.93	2225^th	2508	11.3%
2018	12.10	2284^th	2480	7.9%
2019	15.88	2352^nd	2715	13.4%
2021	8.49	870^th	894	2.7%
2022	13.87	2499^th	2740	8.8%
2023	10.80	2680^th	2802	4.4%
2024	11.01	2623^rd	2777	5.5%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.11	898^th	1364	34.2%
2019	30.55	1085^th	1442	24.8%
2021	24.87	358^th	363	1.4%
2022	32.03	1143^rd	1540	25.8%
2023	28.70	1292^nd	1529	15.5%
2024	30.01	1221^st	1477	17.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.29	1472^nd	1538	4.3%
2024	16.93	1541^st	1550	0.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.38	2008^th	2230	10.0%
2019	21.89	1966^th	2369	17.0%
2021	11.42	701^st	721	2.8%
2022	18.23	2168^th	2458	11.8%
2023	13.46	2395^th	2549	6.0%
2024	12.71	2426^th	2575	5.8%

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	22.56	79^th	94	16.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.48	2136^th	2262	5.6%
2019	14.24	2138^th	2380	10.2%
2021	8.42	729^th	738	1.2%
2022	14.19	2295^th	2509	8.5%
2023	11.64	2427^th	2547	4.7%
2024	12.34	2385^th	2546	6.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.68	466^th	1369	66.0%
2019	34.19	890^th	1491	40.3%
2021	21.53	341^st	354	3.7%
2022	25.81	1235^th	1531	19.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.62	2088^th	2273	8.1%
2019	17.14	2090^th	2407	13.2%
2021	10.24	741^st	763	2.9%
2022	14.62	2314^th	2527	8.4%
2023	10.72	2455^th	2558	4.0%
2024	10.23	2465^th	2547	3.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.89	1869^th	2072	9.8%
2019	20.55	1872^nd	2213	15.4%
2022	17.89	2099^th	2359	11.0%
2023	13.36	2255^th	2391	5.7%
2024	13.71	2216^th	2383	7.0%

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 Reef Sunset Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1992	73	8	0	253	0	n/a	n/a	334
1993	81	4	0	271	1	n/a	n/a	357
1994	80	4	4	278	0	n/a	n/a	366
1995	73	11	0	349	0	n/a	n/a	433
1996	73	11	0	349	0	n/a	n/a	433
1997	62	8	0	388	0	n/a	n/a	458
1998	43	3	0	418	0	n/a	n/a	464
1999	38	6	0	400	0	n/a	n/a	444
2000	31	4	0	441	0	n/a	n/a	476
2001	34	3	0	400	0	n/a	n/a	437
2002	27	3	0	400	0	n/a	n/a	430
2003	27	3	0	400	0	n/a	n/a	430
2004	30	7	0	456	0	n/a	n/a	493
2005	36	6	0	515	0	n/a	n/a	557
2006	23	2	1	468	0	n/a	n/a	494
2007	23	5	0	420	0	n/a	n/a	448
2008	20	3	n/a	438	n/a	n/a	n/a	461
2009	21	3	0	434	0	0	0	458
2010	23	2	2	475	0	0	0	502
2011	17	3	9	481	0	0	0	510
2012	10	1	7	315	0	0	0	333
2013	5	2	9	367	0	0	0	383
2014	4	0	7	376	0	0	0	387
2015	4	0	7	303	0	0	0	314
2016	8	0	2	303	0	0	0	313
2017	14	0	1	480	1	0	0	496
2018	20	0	0	520	1	0	1	542
2019	24	0	0	523	0	0	1	548
2020	23	0	2	559	1	0	0	585
2021	17	1	3	553	1	0	0	575
2022	7	2	4	552	1	0	0	566
2023	7	2	7	546	0	0	0	562

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 Reef Sunset Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	334	n/a	n/a	82.9
1993	357	15.0	23.8	76.2
1994	366	16.0	22.9	81.7
1995	433	18.0	24.1	85.9
1996	433	18.0	24.1	85.9
1997	458	22.0	20.8	90.2
1998	464	22.1	21.0	87.7
1999	444	22.0	20.2	90.3
2000	476	23.0	20.7	91.8
2001	437	23.0	19.0	99.3
2002	430	22.0	19.5	99.3
2003	430	22.0	19.5	99.3
2004	493	22.0	22.4	98.4
2005	557	24.0	23.2	99.5
2006	494	23.0	21.5	99.4
2007	448	20.0	22.4	n/a
2008	461	22.0	21.0	81.8
2009	458	21.5	19.5	91
2010	502	26.0	19.3	98.8
2011	510	n/a	n/a	99.4
2012	333	18.8	17.6	n/a
2013	383	21.5	17.8	97.7
2014	387	21.0	18.4	76
2015	314	17.0	18.4	87.3
2016	313	16.0	19.5	90.1
2017	496	18.0	27.5	89.1
2018	542	21.5	25.2	96.5
2019	548	23.0	23.8	95.3
2020	585	n/a	n/a	90.8
2021	575	23.6	24.3	94.4
2022	566	24.8	22.8	97
2023	562	26.8	20.9	92.3

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 Reef Sunset Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	334	n/a	n/a	82.9
1993	357	15.0	23.8	76.2
1994	366	16.0	22.9	81.7
1995	433	18.0	24.1	85.9
1996	433	18.0	24.1	85.9
1997	458	22.0	20.8	90.2
1998	464	22.1	21.0	87.7
1999	444	22.0	20.2	90.3
2000	476	23.0	20.7	91.8
2001	437	23.0	19.0	99.3
2002	430	22.0	19.5	99.3
2003	430	22.0	19.5	99.3
2004	493	22.0	22.4	98.4
2005	557	24.0	23.2	99.5
2006	494	23.0	21.5	99.4
2007	448	20.0	22.4	n/a
2008	461	22.0	21.0	81.8
2009	458	21.5	19.5	91
2010	502	26.0	19.3	98.8
2011	510	n/a	n/a	99.4
2012	333	18.8	17.6	n/a
2013	383	21.5	17.8	97.7
2014	387	21.0	18.4	76
2015	314	17.0	18.4	87.3
2016	313	16.0	19.5	90.1
2017	496	18.0	27.5	89.1
2018	542	21.5	25.2	96.5
2019	548	23.0	23.8	95.3
2020	585	n/a	n/a	90.8
2021	575	23.6	24.3	94.4
2022	566	24.8	22.8	97
2023	562	26.8	20.9	92.3

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 Reef Sunset Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,074

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Reef Sunset 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 2352^nd of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2680^th of 2802 Middle schools	9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef Sunset Middle)	17.4	12.1	5.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef-Sunset Unified)	19.1	11.7	7.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Reef Sunset Middle)	13.8	4.1	9.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Reef-Sunset Unified)	13.5	5.1	8.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef Sunset Middle)	21.3	18.2	3.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef-Sunset Unified)	26.4	18.8	7.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Reef Sunset Middle)	8.1	10	1.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Reef-Sunset Unified)	9.3	9.4	0.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef Sunset Middle)	37.7	21.6	16.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Reef-Sunset Unified)	39	23.3	15.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Reef Sunset Middle)	20.7	5.6	15.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Reef-Sunset Unified)	20.5	6.3	14.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Reef Sunset Middle)	10.6	3.4	7.3%
8th Grade Science (Reef-Sunset Unified)	11	5.4	5.6%
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	548	562	2.6%
African American	0	2
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	7
Hispanic	523	546	4.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	24	7	70.8%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95.3%	92.3%	2.9%

Schools Near Reef Sunset 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
Reef Sunset Middle	Public	6-8	608 North First Ave.	Avenal	93204	Kings County	Reef-Sunset Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 386-4128	562	27	20.9	92.3%	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	546 (97.2%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11	2623^rd of 2777 public middle schools	5.5%		10.8	2680^th of 2802 public middle schools	4.4%	57	7.4	7.4	13.9	18.0	19.6	17.1	9.2	6.1	5.8	7.1	$8,074
Huron Middle	Public	6-8	16875 Fourth St.	Huron	93234	Fresno County	Coalinga-Huron Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 945-2926	369	19	19.4	98.1%	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	355 (96.2%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10.3	2651^st of 2777 public middle schools	4.5%		11.2	2662^nd of 2802 public middle schools	5.0%	11	7.9	7.9	16.7	8.9	16.7	14.2	9.6	5.3	5.5	6.8	$8,251
Coalinga Middle	Public	6-8	265 Cambridge Ave.	Coalinga	93210	Fresno County	Coalinga-Huron Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 935-7550	684	33	20.7	84.1%	87 (12.7%)	7 (1.0%)	565 (82.6%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.9%)	10.8	2636^th of 2777 public middle schools	5.1%		11.2	2665^th of 2802 public middle schools	4.9%	29	5.3	5.3	15.7	18.3	13.4	15.8	12.0	6.3	6.6	8.3	$6,742

Reef Sunset Middle

Reef Sunset Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Reef-Sunset Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for all students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Migrant students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Female students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Male students at Reef Sunset Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Reef Sunset Middle

Enrollment information for Reef Sunset Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Reef Sunset Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Reef Sunset Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Reef Sunset Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Reef Sunset Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Reef Sunset Middle