Union Hill Middle

Q: Is Union Hill Middle a good school?

Union Hill Middle ranks 693 rd of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Union Hill Middle is a public middle school located in Grass Valley, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 141 students. The school is part of the Union Hill Elementary District, which is ranked 455 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Union Hill Middle consistently performs above the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 52.14% of students proficient or better in ELA and 46.1% in Math, compared to the state averages of 47.04% and 35.54%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong for female students, who ranked 500 out of 2,546 California middle schools in the 2023-2024 school year, with a 4-star rating. However, the school's performance for male students and multi-racial students is relatively weaker, with 3-star and 1-star ratings, respectively. Union Hill Middle has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.9% in 2018-2019 to 34.5% in 2021-2022, which is an area of concern.

Compared to nearby schools, Union Hill Middle generally outperforms the Weimar Hills, Magnolia Intermediate, and Seven Hills Intermediate in academic metrics. However, the school's relatively high free and reduced lunch rate (36.88%) suggests that a significant portion of the student population comes from low-income families, which may contribute to the school's higher chronic absenteeism rates and impact academic performance.

Detail:

Public 7-8

11638 Colfax Hwy.
Grass Valley, CA 94945-8805

(530) 273-8456

District: Union Hill Elementary

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,520

Students who attend Union Hill Middle usually attend:

High:

Nevada Union High

Feeder schools for Union Hill Middle:

Elementary:

Union Hill Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 18.9

Number of students: 141

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.7%

Two or more races:

29.1%

Hispanic:

14.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Union Hill Middle ranks better than 75% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.47. (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 Student population at Union Hill Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (56.7%), two or more races (29.1%), Hispanic (14.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Hill Middle is 18.9. (See more...)

Compare Union Hill Middle employs 7.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Hill Middle is $8,520.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union Hill Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Hill Middle 693^rd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Union Hill Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Union Hill Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Hill Elementary 455^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Union Hill Middle

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Rank History for all students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2015	62.54	807^th	2477	67.4%
2016	60.98	846^th	2497	66.1%
2017	55.50	967^th	2508	61.4%
2018	74.81	549^th	2480	77.9%
2019	57.83	954^th	2715	64.9%
2021	75.43	175^th	894	80.4%
2022	72.98	613^th	2740	77.6%
2023	73.39	612^th	2802	78.2%
2024	69.47	693^rd	2777	75.0%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	55.03	297^th	665	55.3%
2023	50.90	346^th	678	49.0%
2024	14.88	607^th	699	13.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.67	1498^th	1538	2.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.45	817^th	2230	63.4%
2019	44.05	1215^th	2369	48.7%
2021	61.71	206^th	721	71.4%
2022	72.91	446^th	2458	81.9%
2023	76.81	385^th	2549	84.9%
2024	63.35	677^th	2575	73.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.00	597^th	2262	73.6%
2019	55.96	911^th	2380	61.7%
2021	72.22	172^nd	738	76.7%
2022	74.14	540^th	2509	78.5%
2023	79.05	456^th	2547	82.1%
2024	76.82	500^th	2546	80.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	75.67	489^th	2273	78.5%
2019	57.21	873^rd	2407	63.7%
2021	76.07	155^th	763	79.7%
2022	68.73	644^th	2527	74.5%
2023	62.15	769^th	2558	69.9%
2024	55.53	916^th	2547	64.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	62.65	654^th	2359	72.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Union Hill Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.93	616^th	1496	58.8%
2019	36.37	1019^th	1602	36.4%
2022	49.14	776^th	1555	50.1%
2023	51.16	722^nd	1552	53.5%
2024	55.33	664^th	1535	56.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, March 11, 2023

Our child is one of the top three students out of all the middle schools in the district that is going to the public speech championships . There were 2 of the best students from each middle school in our area hundreds of students Union Hill is the Best Close Quote

Enrollment information for Union Hill Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	105	0	2	8	3	0	14	132
2015	109	0	1	9	0	1	12	132
2016	104	0	2	7	1	1	8	123
2017	107	0	0	3	0	0	5	115
2018	98	0	3	8	0	2	13	124
2019	99	2	1	16	1	0	6	125
2020	117	0	0	22	1	0	4	144
2021	95	0	1	23	1	0	22	142
2022	82	0	1	23	0	0	39	145
2023	80	0	0	20	0	0	41	141

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 Union Hill Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	132	6.7	19.4	30.3
2015	132	7.0	18.8	27.3
2016	123	7.0	17.5	25.2
2017	115	4.9	23.1	26.1
2018	124	5.6	21.7	38.7
2019	125	5.6	22.1	44
2020	144	n/a	n/a	42.4
2021	142	6.8	20.6	35.9
2022	145	8.4	17.1	35.9
2023	141	7.4	18.9	36.9

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 Union Hill Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	132	6.7	19.4	30.3
2015	132	7.0	18.8	27.3
2016	123	7.0	17.5	25.2
2017	115	4.9	23.1	26.1
2018	124	5.6	21.7	38.7
2019	125	5.6	22.1	44
2020	144	n/a	n/a	42.4
2021	142	6.8	20.6	35.9
2022	145	8.4	17.1	35.9
2023	141	7.4	18.9	36.9

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 Union Hill Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,520

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Hill 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 954^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 612^th of 2802 Middle schools	13.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Union Hill Middle)	36.9	61.2	24.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Union Hill Elementary)	36.9	61.2	24.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Union Hill Middle)	38.1	50	11.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Union Hill Elementary)	38.1	50	11.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Union Hill Middle)	56.6	57.6	1%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Union Hill Elementary)	54.6	57.6	3%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Union Hill Middle)	71.2	38.8	32.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Union Hill Elementary)	68.5	38.8	29.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Union Hill Middle)	30.2	30.3	0.1%
8th Grade Science (Union Hill Elementary)	28.6	30.3	1.7%
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	125	141	12.8%
African American	2	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	16	20	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	99	80	19.2%
Two or More Races	6	41	583.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44%	36.9%	7.1%

Schools Near Union Hill 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
Union Hill Middle	Public	7-8	11638 Colfax Hwy.	Grass Valley	94945	Marin County	Union Hill Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8456	141	7	18.9	36.9%	80 (56.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (29.1%)	69.5	693^rd of 2777 public middle schools	75.0%		73.4	612^th of 2802 public middle schools	78.2%	81		32.3	32.3				49.3	55.4	52.1				47.4	44.6	46.1	$8,520
Lyman Gilmore Middle	Public	5-8	10837 Rough and Ready Hwy.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8479	461	28	16.6	70.7%	298 (64.6%)	3 (0.7%)	119 (25.8%)	14 (3.0%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.7%)	37.6	1537^th of 2777 public middle schools	44.7%		50.6	1147^th of 2802 public middle schools	59.1%	390	20.3	17.4	18.9		33.6	30.1	42.6	38.7	36.3		12.0	23.1	31.5	23.9	22.4	$8,790
Seven Hills Intermediate	Public	4-8	700 Hoover Ln.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 265-1840	399	20	20.0	33.6%	328 (82.2%)	3 (0.8%)	33 (8.3%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	72	652^nd of 2777 public middle schools	76.5%		67.7	727^th of 2802 public middle schools	74.1%	75	48.4	49.4	48.9	58.1	54.7	48.7	56.6	62.9	56.4	64.0	42.1	29.0	39.0	50.6	45.3	$3,081
Magnolia Intermediate	Public	6-8	22431 Kingston Ln.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 268-2815	379	18	20.5	34.6%	199 (52.5%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (14.2%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	117 (30.9%)	60.4	875^th of 2777 public middle schools	68.5%		56.4	1002^nd of 2802 public middle schools	64.2%	127		37.0	37.0			52.9	40.2	50.0	47.6			43.8	27.9	39.8	37.0	$10,589
Weimar Hills	Public	4-8	200 West Weimar Crossroad	Weimar	95736	Placer County	Placer Hills Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 637-4121	398	21	18.6	28.9%	336 (84.4%)	3 (0.8%)	28 (7.0%)	5 (1.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.0%)	57.3	953^rd of 2777 public middle schools	65.7%		54.8	1036^th of 2802 public middle schools	63.0%	83	40.3	22.4	31.7	57.9	52.1	42.3	47.4	52.9	50.6	61.0	50.0	28.2	36.4	56.5	46.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Hill Middle

How many students attend Union Hill Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 141 students attended Union Hill Middle.

What district is Union Hill Middle in?

Union Hill Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Union Hill Middle?

Students at Union Hill Middle are 57% White, 29% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Union Hill Middle attend?

Students who attend Union Hill Middle usually go on to attend Nevada Union High

Is Union Hill Middle a good school?

Union Hill Middle ranks 693^rd of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Union Hill 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.