San Marcos Middle

Summary:

San Marcos Middle is a public middle school serving 931 students in grades 6-8 in the San Marcos Unified School District in San Marcos, CA. While the school has been consistently ranked in the middle range of California middle schools, it faces several challenges that set it apart from nearby schools.

One key concern is the school's chronic absenteeism rates, which have risen sharply from 6.6% in 2018-2019 to 28.3% in 2021-2022, significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, San Marcos Middle's test scores lag behind the San Marcos Unified School District and the state of California across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 39% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 56.53% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Asian and White students generally outperforming Hispanic and English Language Learner students.

Interestingly, San Marcos Middle's performance lags behind the nearby San Elijo Middle and Woodland Park Middle, which are also part of the San Marcos Unified School District. These schools consistently outperform San Marcos Middle in test scores, chronic absenteeism rates, and overall SchoolDigger rankings. Additionally, San Marcos Middle has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 61.65% in 2022-2023, which may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 650 West Mission Rd.
       San Marcos, CA  92069-1555


(760) 290-2500

District: San Marcos Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1362nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,737 Help


Feeder schools for San Marcos Middle:

Elementary:    Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary
    Paloma Elementary
    San Marcos Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  20.6 Help
Number of students:  931

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
71.8%
White:
16.3%
Asian:
6.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details San Marcos Middle ranks better than 51% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the San Marcos Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.18. (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 San Marcos Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the San Marcos Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (71.8%), White (16.3%), Asian (6.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 61.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the San Marcos Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at San Marcos Middle is 20.6, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the San Marcos Unified School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare San Marcos Middle employs 45.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at San Marcos Middle is $7,737, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the San Marcos Unified School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

San Marcos Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks San Marcos Middle 1362nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See San Marcos 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:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


San Marcos Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Marcos Unified 475th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for San Marcos Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 49.47 794th 1769 55.1%
2005 32.82 1155th 1777 35.0%
2006 35.96 1119th 1804 38.0%
2007 34.33 1273rd 1999 36.3%
2008 48.40 967th 2005 51.8%
2009 54.34 875th 2063 57.6%
2010 48.65 1073rd 2179 50.8%
2011 57.66 890th 2236 60.2%
2012 60.22 815th 2259 63.9%
2013 53.63 1060th 2379 55.4%
2015 43.69 1245th 2477 49.7%
2016 42.75 1299th 2497 48.0%
2017 50.43 1092nd 2508 56.5%
2018 51.16 1063rd 2480 57.1%
2019 49.40 1167th 2715 57.0%
2022 47.54 1241st 2740 54.7%
2023 54.53 1042nd 2802 62.8%
2024 43.18 1362nd 2777 51.0%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 70.05 188th 665 71.7%
2023 64.54 248th 678 63.4%
2024 53.96 329th 699 52.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.02 702nd 1364 48.5%
2019 48.80 448th 1442 68.9%
2022 51.00 449th 1540 70.8%
2023 48.74 473rd 1529 69.1%
2024 30.72 1191st 1477 19.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.55 924th 1538 39.9%
2024 23.74 1329th 1550 14.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.96 833rd 2230 62.6%
2019 50.04 1013th 2369 57.2%
2022 39.48 1353rd 2458 45.0%
2023 46.95 1127th 2549 55.8%
2024 30.02 1775th 2575 31.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 88.46 3rd 86 96.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 58.54 108th 394 72.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.83 935th 2262 58.7%
2019 52.24 1002nd 2380 57.9%
2022 49.98 1069th 2509 57.4%
2023 52.71 992nd 2547 61.1%
2024 42.36 1276th 2546 49.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.46 751st 1369 45.1%
2019 34.57 871st 1491 41.6%
2022 44.81 656th 1531 57.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 35.92 126th 193 34.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.72 1103rd 2273 51.5%
2019 43.57 1197th 2407 50.3%
2022 44.33 1207th 2527 52.2%
2023 54.87 939th 2558 63.3%
2024 42.74 1256th 2547 50.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 63.08 317th 745 57.4%
2022 78.63 136th 733 81.4%
2023 72.46 199th 718 72.3%
2024 59.46 353rd 741 52.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.07 789th 2072 61.9%
2019 50.53 934th 2213 57.8%
2022 42.95 1191st 2359 49.5%
2023 49.33 1005th 2391 58.0%
2024 31.79 1576th 2383 33.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at San Marcos Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.08 354th 1496 76.3%
2019 76.66 331st 1602 79.3%
2022 61.25 563rd 1555 63.8%
2023 74.50 340th 1552 78.1%
2024 72.15 383rd 1535 75.0%
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.

San Marcos 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 San Marcos Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 670 8 45 209 1 n/a n/a 0 933
1989 727 11 29 263 3 n/a n/a 0 1033
1990 775 18 38 330 4 n/a n/a 0 1165
1991 750 24 43 389 6 n/a n/a 0 1212
1992 712 25 45 455 4 n/a n/a 0 1241
1993 750 38 55 530 8 n/a n/a 0 1381
1994 787 36 82 574 11 n/a n/a 0 1490
1995 785 42 73 640 13 n/a n/a 0 1553
1996 785 42 73 640 13 n/a n/a 0 1553
1997 780 42 89 693 14 n/a n/a 0 1618
1998 740 47 84 745 13 n/a n/a 0 1629
1999 631 56 81 813 6 n/a n/a 0 1587
2000 434 42 76 634 8 n/a n/a 0 1194
2001 490 47 93 717 12 n/a n/a 0 1359
2002 590 56 123 833 8 n/a n/a 0 1610
2003 590 56 123 833 8 n/a n/a 0 1610
2004 620 53 134 1012 8 n/a n/a 0 1827
2005 262 53 106 1004 6 n/a n/a 0 1431
2006 232 49 91 1035 9 n/a n/a 0 1416
2007 203 45 93 970 6 n/a n/a 0 1317
2008 215 49 82 891 5 n/a n/a 0 1242
2009 193 37 69 922 4 2 2 0 1229
2010 165 37 64 918 3 5 0 0 1192
2011 173 45 76 992 3 5 1 0 1295
2012 193 46 86 1022 4 7 6 0 1364
2013 190 45 86 1013 2 7 10 0 1353
2014 196 35 92 978 0 7 15 0 1323
2015 182 26 76 1019 1 8 19 0 1331
2016 149 20 77 991 1 3 13 0 1254
2017 138 24 69 996 3 5 0 0 1235
2018 147 15 64 1006 1 6 0 0 1239
2019 126 17 73 909 3 4 0 0 1132
2020 149 10 53 836 0 5 22 0 1075
2021 149 0 48 722 9 2 39 0 969
2022 165 8 57 717 1 2 40 0 990
2023 152 0 58 668 12 1 40 0 931

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 San Marcos Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 933 36.0 25.9 n/a
1989 1033 38.5 26.8 n/a
1990 1165 42.2 27.6 n/a
1991 1212 50.5 24.0 n/a
1992 1241 51.3 24.1 40.2
1993 1381 50.3 27.5 41.6
1994 1490 57.5 25.9 46
1995 1553 63.9 24.3 45.3
1996 1553 63.9 24.3 45.3
1997 1618 65.2 24.8 46.4
1998 1629 65.5 24.9 44.3
1999 1587 64.7 24.5 44.7
2000 1194 50.4 23.7 48.7
2001 1359 52.6 25.8 46.9
2002 1610 63.5 25.4 41.2
2003 1610 63.5 25.4 41.2
2004 1827 66.5 27.5 45
2005 1431 56.1 25.5 56.1
2006 1416 53.6 26.4 57.9
2007 1317 52.1 25.3 59.5
2008 1242 57.1 21.8 57.6
2009 1229 47.2 22.7 68
2010 1192 43.6 27.3 74.2
2011 1295 n/a n/a 75.1
2012 1364 44.8 30.4 n/a
2013 1353 49.7 27.2 75.3
2014 1323 49.7 26.6 74
2015 1331 49.0 27.1 75.6
2016 1254 48.0 26.1 73.9
2017 1235 53.2 23.2 74.7
2018 1239 45.2 27.4 74.2
2019 1132 n/a n/a 52.3
2020 1075 n/a n/a 47.5
2021 969 46.5 20.8 48.9
2022 990 52.4 18.8 62.7
2023 931 45.1 20.6 61.7

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 San Marcos Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 933 36.0 25.9 n/a
1989 1033 38.5 26.8 n/a
1990 1165 42.2 27.6 n/a
1991 1212 50.5 24.0 n/a
1992 1241 51.3 24.1 40.2
1993 1381 50.3 27.5 41.6
1994 1490 57.5 25.9 46
1995 1553 63.9 24.3 45.3
1996 1553 63.9 24.3 45.3
1997 1618 65.2 24.8 46.4
1998 1629 65.5 24.9 44.3
1999 1587 64.7 24.5 44.7
2000 1194 50.4 23.7 48.7
2001 1359 52.6 25.8 46.9
2002 1610 63.5 25.4 41.2
2003 1610 63.5 25.4 41.2
2004 1827 66.5 27.5 45
2005 1431 56.1 25.5 56.1
2006 1416 53.6 26.4 57.9
2007 1317 52.1 25.3 59.5
2008 1242 57.1 21.8 57.6
2009 1229 47.2 22.7 68
2010 1192 43.6 27.3 74.2
2011 1295 n/a n/a 75.1
2012 1364 44.8 30.4 n/a
2013 1353 49.7 27.2 75.3
2014 1323 49.7 26.6 74
2015 1331 49.0 27.1 75.6
2016 1254 48.0 26.1 73.9
2017 1235 53.2 23.2 74.7
2018 1239 45.2 27.4 74.2
2019 1132 n/a n/a 52.3
2020 1075 n/a n/a 47.5
2021 969 46.5 20.8 48.9
2022 990 52.4 18.8 62.7
2023 931 45.1 20.6 61.7

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 San Marcos Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $7,737

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

Impact of COVID-19 on San Marcos 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 1167th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 1042nd of 2802 Middle schools
 5.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Middle)47.941
 6.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Unified)62.655.7
 6.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Middle)3332.7
 0.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Unified)47.942.8
 5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Middle)53.746.6
 7.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Unified)65.258.4
 6.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Middle)33.535.3
 1.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Unified)48.843.5
 5.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Middle)54.247.3
 6.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Marcos Unified)69.157.1
 12%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Middle)27.930.4
 2.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (San Marcos Unified)4836.6
 11.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (San Marcos Middle)25.930.7
 4.8%
   8th Grade Science (San Marcos Unified)42.240.1
 2.1%
   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 Students1132931
 17.8%
African American170
 100%
American Indian312
 300%
Asian7358
 20.5%
Hispanic909668
 26.5%
Pacific Islander41
 75%
White126152
 20.6%
Two or More Races040
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients52.3%61.7%
 9.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about San Marcos Middle

Students at San Marcos Middle are 72% Hispanic, 16% White, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 931 students attended San Marcos Middle.

San Marcos Middle ranks 1362nd of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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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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