La Paz Intermediate

Summary:

La Paz Intermediate is a public middle school located in Mission Viejo, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 706 students. It is part of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, which is ranked 376 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

La Paz Intermediate consistently outperforms the Saddleback Valley Unified School District and the state of California in standardized test scores across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 67.6% of La Paz students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 59.15% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 57.94% of La Paz students were proficient or better, compared to 50.69% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school has maintained a high statewide ranking, placing in the top 10% of California middle schools for the past several years, and it has strong performance across various student subgroups.

When compared to other nearby middle schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified and Capistrano Unified school districts, La Paz Intermediate stands out as a high-performing school. Despite having a relatively high student-teacher ratio and a significant population of low-socioeconomic status students, the school maintains strong academic performance, suggesting effective instructional practices and support systems in place.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 25151 Pradera Dr.
       Mission Viejo, CA  92691-5310


(949) 830-1720

District: Saddleback Valley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
259th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,101 Help


Feeder schools for La Paz Intermediate:

Elementary:    De Portola Elementary
    Linda Vista Magnet Elementary
    Montevideo Elementary
    Valencia Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  22.7 Help
Number of students:  707

Racial breakdown:

White:
44.4%
Hispanic:
32.1%
Two or more races:
11.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  41.7% Help


 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare La Paz Intermediate to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details La Paz Intermediate ranks better than 90.7% of middle schools in California. It also ranks first among 4 ranked middle schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.84. (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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (44.4%), Hispanic (32.1%), two or more races (11.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 41.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Paz Intermediate is 22.7. 2 middle schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare La Paz Intermediate employs 31 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Paz Intermediate is $6,101, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Paz Intermediate:

SchoolDigger ranks La Paz Intermediate 259th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See La Paz Intermediate in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Saddleback Valley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Saddleback Valley Unified 376th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for La Paz Intermediate

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Rank History for all students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 89.81 123rd 1769 93.0%
2005 91.63 94th 1777 94.7%
2006 89.08 136th 1804 92.5%
2007 85.85 200th 1999 90.0%
2008 86.31 168th 2005 91.6%
2009 87.40 146th 2063 92.9%
2010 79.08 330th 2179 84.9%
2011 89.65 95th 2236 95.8%
2012 83.49 223rd 2259 90.1%
2013 87.31 139th 2379 94.2%
2015 82.86 375th 2477 84.9%
2016 88.58 261st 2497 89.5%
2017 89.14 258th 2508 89.7%
2018 87.83 288th 2480 88.4%
2019 90.80 245th 2715 91.0%
2022 90.85 256th 2740 90.7%
2023 93.54 187th 2802 93.3%
2024 90.84 259th 2777 90.7%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.23 154th 462 66.7%
2019 79.28 90th 554 83.8%
2022 85.34 62nd 665 90.7%
2023 85.14 71st 678 89.5%
2024 86.10 66th 699 90.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.05 346th 1364 74.6%
2019 78.16 143rd 1442 90.1%
2022 81.09 106th 1540 93.1%
2023 82.29 98th 1529 93.6%
2024 42.98 623rd 1477 57.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 84.63 135th 1538 91.2%
2024 55.48 472nd 1550 69.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.12 440th 2230 80.3%
2019 69.31 504th 2369 78.7%
2022 76.72 364th 2458 85.2%
2023 88.86 180th 2549 92.9%
2024 82.11 309th 2575 88.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 93.41 12th 336 96.4%
2023 69.85 58th 321 81.9%
2024 64.95 85th 394 78.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.28 252nd 2262 88.9%
2019 89.66 234th 2380 90.2%
2022 91.11 210th 2509 91.6%
2023 92.69 182nd 2547 92.9%
2024 90.19 241st 2546 90.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.87 198th 1369 85.5%
2019 73.89 245th 1491 83.6%
2022 63.32 357th 1531 76.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 67.02 64th 197 67.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.09 302nd 2273 86.7%
2019 90.26 234th 2407 90.3%
2022 89.19 268th 2527 89.4%
2023 92.91 182nd 2558 92.9%
2024 89.69 256th 2547 89.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.47 75th 700 89.3%
2019 77.61 145th 745 80.5%
2022 78.83 133rd 733 81.9%
2023 76.88 141st 718 80.4%
2024 80.59 108th 741 85.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.01 413th 2072 80.1%
2019 78.39 336th 2213 84.8%
2022 78.63 319th 2359 86.5%
2023 84.84 224th 2391 90.6%
2024 80.88 305th 2383 87.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at La Paz Intermediate

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.68 222nd 1496 85.2%
2019 86.12 146th 1602 90.9%
2022 85.07 145th 1555 90.7%
2023 89.37 85th 1552 94.5%
2024 84.66 158th 1535 89.7%
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.

La Paz Intermediate Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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0%

  

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for La Paz Intermediate

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 779 5 64 47 0 n/a n/a 0 895
1989 777 14 64 46 0 n/a n/a 0 901
1990 809 14 78 52 0 n/a n/a 0 953
1991 939 14 99 60 0 n/a n/a 0 1112
1992 1016 19 113 80 1 n/a n/a 0 1229
1993 1064 16 135 89 2 n/a n/a 0 1306
1994 885 12 133 97 1 n/a n/a 0 1128
1995 845 15 132 114 2 n/a n/a 0 1108
1996 845 15 132 114 2 n/a n/a 0 1108
1997 862 9 115 115 2 n/a n/a 0 1103
1998 875 14 112 115 3 n/a n/a 0 1119
1999 877 9 110 119 4 n/a n/a 0 1119
2000 808 21 106 129 4 n/a n/a 0 1068
2001 842 23 103 152 2 n/a n/a 0 1122
2002 916 15 119 189 7 n/a n/a 0 1246
2003 916 15 119 189 7 n/a n/a 0 1246
2004 957 20 119 184 8 n/a n/a 0 1288
2005 929 26 128 188 8 n/a n/a 0 1279
2006 897 30 117 212 8 n/a n/a 3 1267
2007 872 24 106 209 4 n/a n/a 5 1220
2008 768 23 112 206 3 n/a n/a 0 1112
2009 751 29 111 222 2 8 11 0 1134
2010 708 22 117 217 4 8 3 0 1079
2011 662 14 109 198 4 6 24 0 1017
2012 619 13 88 233 1 4 37 0 995
2013 626 12 87 238 3 7 38 0 1011
2014 583 12 83 238 3 5 45 0 969
2015 500 7 83 220 0 4 48 0 862
2016 485 9 94 232 0 5 64 0 889
2017 517 7 81 243 0 1 71 0 920
2018 484 6 67 237 0 2 71 0 867
2019 436 7 91 236 0 1 76 0 847
2020 438 11 100 248 1 1 70 0 869
2021 385 14 85 248 1 3 65 0 801
2022 373 10 71 206 0 2 70 2 734
2023 351 6 70 201 1 2 73 2 706
2024 314 5 73 227 2 3 83 0 707

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 Paz Intermediate

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 895 37.6 23.8 n/a
1989 901 38.0 23.7 n/a
1990 953 39.6 24.0 n/a
1991 1112 45.3 24.5 n/a
1992 1229 46.0 26.7 3.5
1993 1306 51.5 25.4 4.2
1994 1128 47.0 24.0 6.2
1995 1108 47.6 23.3 7.8
1996 1108 47.6 23.3 7.8
1997 1103 46.7 23.6 7.4
1998 1119 47.2 23.7 7.1
1999 1119 47.6 23.5 7.4
2000 1068 48.2 22.2 6.7
2001 1122 49.2 22.8 8
2002 1246 54.0 23.1 8.7
2003 1246 54.0 23.1 8.7
2004 1288 53.0 24.3 10.6
2005 1279 54.2 23.6 9.9
2006 1267 55.0 23.0 10.4
2007 1220 48.8 25.0 10.3
2008 1112 49.6 22.4 12
2009 1134 45.8 22.8 12.1
2010 1079 44.0 24.5 16.3
2011 1017 n/a n/a 14.7
2012 995 37.8 26.3 n/a
2013 1011 37.0 27.3 21.8
2014 969 35.8 26.9 21.4
2015 862 31.0 27.8 20.4
2016 889 34.0 26.1 22.4
2017 920 37.7 24.3 20.4
2018 867 35.1 24.6 24
2019 847 28.6 29.5 24.2
2020 869 n/a n/a 25.9
2021 801 32.7 24.4 26.2
2022 734 31.5 23.3 27.4
2023 706 30.5 23.1 37.5
2024 707 31.0 22.7 41.7

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 Paz Intermediate

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 895 37.6 23.8 n/a
1989 901 38.0 23.7 n/a
1990 953 39.6 24.0 n/a
1991 1112 45.3 24.5 n/a
1992 1229 46.0 26.7 3.5
1993 1306 51.5 25.4 4.2
1994 1128 47.0 24.0 6.2
1995 1108 47.6 23.3 7.8
1996 1108 47.6 23.3 7.8
1997 1103 46.7 23.6 7.4
1998 1119 47.2 23.7 7.1
1999 1119 47.6 23.5 7.4
2000 1068 48.2 22.2 6.7
2001 1122 49.2 22.8 8
2002 1246 54.0 23.1 8.7
2003 1246 54.0 23.1 8.7
2004 1288 53.0 24.3 10.6
2005 1279 54.2 23.6 9.9
2006 1267 55.0 23.0 10.4
2007 1220 48.8 25.0 10.3
2008 1112 49.6 22.4 12
2009 1134 45.8 22.8 12.1
2010 1079 44.0 24.5 16.3
2011 1017 n/a n/a 14.7
2012 995 37.8 26.3 n/a
2013 1011 37.0 27.3 21.8
2014 969 35.8 26.9 21.4
2015 862 31.0 27.8 20.4
2016 889 34.0 26.1 22.4
2017 920 37.7 24.3 20.4
2018 867 35.1 24.6 24
2019 847 28.6 29.5 24.2
2020 869 n/a n/a 25.9
2021 801 32.7 24.4 26.2
2022 734 31.5 23.3 27.4
2023 706 30.5 23.1 37.5
2024 707 31.0 22.7 41.7

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 Paz Intermediate

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,101

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

Impact of COVID-19 on La Paz Intermediate

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 245th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 187th of 2802 Middle schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Paz Intermediate)77.673
 4.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Saddleback Valley Unified)69.765
 4.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (La Paz Intermediate)66.563.9
 2.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Saddleback Valley Unified)54.451.2
 3.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Paz Intermediate)72.372.5
 0.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Saddleback Valley Unified)65.557.7
 7.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (La Paz Intermediate)55.655.7
 0.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Saddleback Valley Unified)54.548.1
 6.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (La Paz Intermediate)59.758.4
 1.3%
   8th Grade Science (Saddleback Valley Unified)52.746.4
 6.3%
   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 Students847706
 16.6%
African American76
 14.3%
American Indian01
Asian9170
 23.1%
Hispanic236201
 14.8%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White436351
 19.5%
Two or More Races7673
 3.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients24.2%37.5%
 13.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about La Paz Intermediate

Yes. La Paz Intermediate ranks in the top 9.3% of California middle schools.

Students at La Paz Intermediate are 44% White, 32% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 10% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 707 students attended La Paz Intermediate.


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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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