Is Pacific Trails Middle a good school?

Yes! Pacific Trails Middle is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 25 th of 2777 California middle schools.

How many students attend Pacific Trails Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 980 students attended Pacific Trails Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Pacific Trails Middle?

Students at Pacific Trails Middle are 46% Asian, 36% White, 9% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Pacific Trails Middle attend?

Students who attend Pacific Trails Middle usually go on to attend Torrey Pines High

Pacific Trails Middle

Summary:

Pacific Trails Middle is a highly-ranked public middle school in San Diego, California, serving grades 6-8 with an enrollment of around 1,000 students. Located within the San Dieguito Union High School District, which is ranked 100 out of 1,568 districts in the state, Pacific Trails Middle has consistently been ranked among the top 30 middle schools in California over the past several years, with a current ranking of 25 out of 2,777 middle schools in the state for the 2023-2024 school year.

Pacific Trails Middle demonstrates exceptional academic performance, with significantly higher percentages of students proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics compared to the district and the state. The school also excels in supporting the academic achievement of various student subgroups, including female students, male students, and students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, Pacific Trails Middle stands out for its exceptional support and performance of military-connected students, ranking 1st out of 191 California middle schools for this student subgroup in the 2023-2024 school year.

When compared to nearby middle schools within the same district, such as Earl Warren Middle and Carmel Valley Middle, Pacific Trails Middle outperforms these schools in academic achievement across various subject areas and grade levels. The school also demonstrates stronger academic performance compared to middle schools in the neighboring San Diego Unified School District, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy for the End of Course assessment.

Detail:

Public 7-8

5975 Village Center Loop Rd.
San Diego, CA 92130-2499

(858) 350-0253

District: San Dieguito Union High

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,633

Students who attend Pacific Trails Middle usually attend:

High:

Torrey Pines High

Feeder schools for Pacific Trails Middle:

Elementary:	Solana Ranch Elementary
	Sycamore Ridge

Student/teacher ratio: 24.4

Number of students: 980

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

45.5%

White:

35.5%

Hispanic:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.9%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Pacific Trails Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pacific Trails Middle ranks better than 99.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks first among 5 ranked middle schools in the San Dieguito Union High School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.65. (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 Pacific Trails Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the San Dieguito Union High School District. Racial makeup is: Asian (45.5%), White (35.5%), Hispanic (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the San Dieguito Union High School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pacific Trails Middle is 24.4, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the San Dieguito Union High School District! (See more...)

Compare Pacific Trails Middle employs 40.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pacific Trails Middle is $5,633, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the San Dieguito Union High School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pacific Trails Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Trails Middle 25^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Pacific Trails Middle 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:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

San Dieguito Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks San Dieguito Union High 100^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Pacific Trails Middle?

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Rank History for Pacific Trails Middle

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Rank History for all students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2017	98.28	29^th	2508	98.8%
2018	97.97	29^th	2480	98.8%
2019	98.44	24^th	2715	99.1%
2022	98.90	27^th	2740	99.0%
2023	98.84	23^rd	2802	99.2%
2024	98.65	25^th	2777	99.1%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.03	13^th	462	97.2%
2019	89.36	23^rd	554	95.8%
2022	92.14	16^th	665	97.6%
2023	91.88	21^st	678	96.9%
2024	92.58	11^th	699	98.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	99.83	9^th	1364	99.3%
2019	99.50	12^th	1442	99.2%
2022	96.26	23^rd	1540	98.5%
2023	94.36	37^th	1529	97.6%
2024	91.38	50^th	1477	96.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	98.60	22^nd	1538	98.6%
2024	99.68	10^th	1550	99.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.66	34^th	2230	98.5%
2019	95.10	65^th	2369	97.3%
2022	98.62	28^th	2458	98.9%
2023	95.32	83^rd	2549	96.7%
2024	96.27	75^th	2575	97.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.28	27^th	2262	98.8%
2019	97.95	21^st	2380	99.1%
2022	98.15	36^th	2509	98.6%
2023	98.28	26^th	2547	99.0%
2024	98.02	28^th	2546	98.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.37	77^th	1369	94.4%
2019	99.78	7^th	1491	99.5%
2022	99.85	4^th	1531	99.7%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	97.82	1^st	193	99.5%
2023	98.13	1^st	197	99.5%
2024	98.18	1^st	191	99.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	98.14	30^th	2273	98.7%
2019	98.51	27^th	2407	98.9%
2022	99.05	24^th	2527	99.1%
2023	98.89	22^nd	2558	99.1%
2024	98.63	29^th	2547	98.9%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.20	78^th	700	88.9%
2019	86.87	26^th	745	96.5%
2022	88.67	21^st	733	97.1%
2023	87.69	20^th	718	97.2%
2024	88.74	16^th	741	97.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.86	29^th	2072	98.6%
2019	97.85	35^th	2213	98.4%
2022	95.91	60^th	2359	97.5%
2023	97.30	38^th	2391	98.4%
2024	89.69	147^th	2383	93.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.59	31^st	1496	97.9%
2019	93.39	33^rd	1602	97.9%
2022	94.12	27^th	1555	98.3%
2023	93.57	23^rd	1552	98.5%
2024	89.45	81^st	1535	94.7%

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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pacific Trails Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2016	141	2	99	12	2	0	8	0	264
2017	328	5	218	47	3	1	21	0	623
2018	354	6	225	59	1	1	25	0	671
2019	354	11	260	61	0	1	36	0	723
2020	357	16	286	71	0	1	73	0	804
2021	364	12	333	90	0	1	76	0	876
2022	347	11	334	90	1	2	79	3	867
2023	337	12	384	90	2	1	89	4	919
2024	348	7	446	91	1	0	86	1	980

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 Pacific Trails Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	264	11.0	24.0	4.5
2017	623	22.0	28.3	6.1
2018	671	25.0	26.8	10.3
2019	723	26.2	27.5	9.3
2020	804	n/a	n/a	8
2021	876	33.4	26.2	9.1
2022	867	32.7	26.5	13.6
2023	919	35.3	25.9	10.3
2024	980	40.1	24.4	10.9

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 Pacific Trails Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	264	11.0	24.0	4.5
2017	623	22.0	28.3	6.1
2018	671	25.0	26.8	10.3
2019	723	26.2	27.5	9.3
2020	804	n/a	n/a	8
2021	876	33.4	26.2	9.1
2022	867	32.7	26.5	13.6
2023	919	35.3	25.9	10.3
2024	980	40.1	24.4	10.9

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 Pacific Trails Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$5,633

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pacific Trails 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 24^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 23^rd of 2802 Middle schools	0.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pacific Trails Middle)	88.5	91.7	3.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Dieguito Union High)	83.1	80	3.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Pacific Trails Middle)	85.4	88.4	3%
7th Grade Mathematics (San Dieguito Union High)	80.7	74.9	5.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pacific Trails Middle)	87.2	78.6	8.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Dieguito Union High)	78.2	74.2	4%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Pacific Trails Middle)	82.1	80.5	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (San Dieguito Union High)	72.8	68.8	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Pacific Trails Middle)	74.9	72.4	2.6%
8th Grade Science (San Dieguito Union High)	62	61.3	0.7%
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	723	919	27.1%
African American	11	12	9.1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	260	384	47.7%
Hispanic	61	90	47.5%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	354	337	4.8%
Two or More Races	36	89	147.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	9.3%	10.3%	1.1%

Schools Near Pacific Trails 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 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	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 4th Grade	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
Pacific Trails Middle	Public	7-8	5975 Village Center Loop Rd.	San Diego	92130	San Diego County	San Dieguito Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 350-0253	980	40	24.4	10.9%	348 (35.5%)	7 (0.7%)	91 (9.3%)	446 (45.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (8.8%)	98.6	25^th of 2777 public middle schools	99.1%		98.8	23^rd of 2802 public middle schools	99.2%	2		74.2	74.2				85.8	81.7	83.6				82.8	79.0	80.8	$5,633
Mesa Verde Middle	Public	6-8	8375 Entreken Way	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 538-5478	1,119	42	26.5	11.6%	356 (31.8%)	15 (1.3%)	111 (9.9%)	498 (44.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	134 (12.0%)	98	50^th of 2777 public middle schools	98.2%		97.9	59^th of 2802 public middle schools	97.9%	9		74.6	74.6			81.3	83.0	84.4	82.9			70.0	75.4	77.5	74.3	$6,734
Solana Pacific Elementary	Public	4-6	3901 Townsgate Dr.	San Diego	92130	San Diego County	Solana Beach Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 794-4500	422	17	24.8	13.5%	174 (41.2%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.6%)	157 (37.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (14.2%)								(n/a)	74.8		74.8	82.3	89.1	86.1			85.7	87.6	86.2	87.2			87.0	$5,889
Carmel Valley Middle	Public	7-8	3800 Mykonos Ln.	San Diego	92130	San Diego County	San Dieguito Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 481-8221	700	30	23.0	14.7%	256 (36.6%)	6 (0.9%)	86 (12.3%)	275 (39.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	75 (10.7%)	98.3	36^th of 2777 public middle schools	98.7%		98.4	40^th of 2802 public middle schools	98.6%	4		66.0	66.0				83.9	82.9	83.3				78.8	78.5	78.7	$6,391
Challenger Middle	Public	6-8	10810 Parkdale Ave.	San Diego	92126	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 586-7001	918	38	24.0	46.8%	132 (14.4%)	19 (2.1%)	181 (19.7%)	440 (47.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	143 (15.6%)	90.9	258^th of 2777 public middle schools	90.7%		92.7	215^th of 2802 public middle schools	92.3%	43		47.7	47.7			70.6	65.6	68.8	68.4			62.7	65.1	61.8	63.2	$7,394
Black Mountain Middle	Public	6-8	9353 Oviedo St.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 484-1300	1,132	49	23.1	16.9%	415 (36.7%)	31 (2.7%)	204 (18.0%)	329 (29.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	151 (13.3%)	89.3	291^st of 2777 public middle schools	89.5%		90.2	276^th of 2802 public middle schools	90.1%	15		53.3	53.3			67.8	69.0	61.5	66.0			55.6	61.1	61.2	59.3	$7,043
R. Roger Rowe Middle	Public	6-8	5927 La Granada	Rancho Santa Fe	92067	San Diego County	Rancho Santa Fe Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 756-1141	212	18	11.7	3.8%	144 (67.9%)	2 (0.9%)	26 (12.3%)	18 (8.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (9.4%)	97	88^th of 2777 public middle schools	96.8%		98.7	31^st of 2802 public middle schools	98.9%	57		47.5	47.5			85.7	85.0	85.3	85.3			79.5	78.3	77.4	78.5	$5,566
Wangenheim Middle	Public	6-8	9230 Gold Coast Dr.	San Diego	92126	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 605-2250	716	30	24.1	60.1%	79 (11.0%)	36 (5.0%)	258 (36.0%)	258 (36.0%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	77 (10.8%)	60.6	869^th of 2777 public middle schools	68.7%		68.1	717^th of 2802 public middle schools	74.4%	152		38.7	38.7			48.8	49.0	54.2	50.7			28.4	29.3	41.5	33.1	$7,575
Earl Warren Middle	Public	7-8	155 Stevens St.	Solana Beach	92075	San Diego County	San Dieguito Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 755-1558	492	21	23.2	16.9%	326 (66.3%)	3 (0.6%)	91 (18.5%)	14 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (11.4%)	96.3	113^th of 2777 public middle schools	95.9%		97.3	86^th of 2802 public middle schools	96.9%	27		59.9	59.9				80.6	74.1	77.0				73.4	69.2	71.1	$7,865
Oak Valley Middle	Public	6-8	16055 Winecreek Rd.	San Diego	92127	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 487-2939	1,485	62	23.9	10.1%	495 (33.3%)	18 (1.2%)	120 (8.1%)	701 (47.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	143 (9.6%)	96.1	119^th of 2777 public middle schools	95.7%		97	98^th of 2802 public middle schools	96.5%	21		58.7	58.7			83.2	85.3	69.5	79.3			72.2	73.7	65.2	70.4	$6,377

Pacific Trails Middle

Pacific Trails Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

San Dieguito Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for all students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Female students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Male students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Asian students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pacific Trails Middle

Rank History for White students at Pacific Trails Middle

Enrollment information for Pacific Trails Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pacific Trails Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Pacific Trails Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pacific Trails Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Pacific Trails Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pacific Trails Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Pacific Trails Middle

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