School Profile · Salinas
Buena Vista Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Buena Vista posts 50% meeting the standard against 40% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
18250 Tara Drive, 93908·Spreckels Union Elementary·Salinas·Grades 6-8·321 students·17% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 455-8936
Scope Score
47
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #523 statewide
Buena Vista Middle scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 69th percentile of 1,714 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “50% proficient” and call it done. Buena Vista deserves a closer read. It sits at the 69th percentile of 1,714 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The headline number: 9.5% chronic absenteeism — versus 19.1% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
18%
34%
48%
Grade 6 · 52% proficient
17%
38%
45%
Grade 7 · 55% proficient
19%
45%
36%
Grade 8 · 64% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 12.3pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
17.2%
State 17.3%
0.1pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
49.8%
State 39.5%
10.3pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+2.0pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
9.5%
State 19.1%
9.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 4.2%
3.4pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Your other options
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic50.8%
White37.7%
Asian3.7%
Other7.8%
GenderFemale 55.8%Male 44.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
321
539 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
17%
46pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,287
District avg: $10,217 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$52,517 – $106,035
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Buena Vista Middle in Salinas, 46.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Buena Vista Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 62 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+4.8pp
14.3% vs 9.5% overall · n=35
Math · Low-Income−12.1pp
30.8% vs 42.9% overall · n=61
2 more gaps by subject
ELA · Low-Income−10.7pp
46.0% vs 56.7% overall · n=62
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−9.4pp
7.2% vs 16.6% overall · n=61
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income62 tested
ELA 46.8%·Math 29.5%· +3.9pp vs district
Hispanic158 tested
ELA 52.2%·Math 34.8%· +3.0pp vs district
White115 tested
ELA 60.0%·Math 50.4%· -0.0pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 5.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +5.8pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$156K
$71K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.09M
$433K above CA median
Bachelor's+
55%
20pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
9.6 years avg experience
18 teachers · 11% first-year · 28% second-year
Teacher Credentials
67% fully credentialed
5.3% on intern/emergency permit
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
17.2%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
49.8%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 58th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+2.0pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
9.5%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 89 | 18% | 34% | 29% | 19% | 52% | +5 |
| Grade 7 | 109 | 17% | 38% | 30% | 16% | 54% | +6 |
| Grade 8 | 111 | 19% | 45% | 20% | 16% | 64% | +18 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 89 | 18% | 28% | 27% | 27% | 46% | +11 |
| Grade 7 | 109 | 15% | 30% | 34% | 21% | 45% | +11 |
| Grade 8 | 111 | 17% | 21% | 32% | 30% | 38% | +6 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 111 | 17% | 24% | 52% | 6% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 62 | 46.8% | +4 | +9 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 157 | 52.2% | +3 | +13 |
| White | 115 | 60.0% | −0 | −2 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista Middle ← | — | 47 | 17.2% | 49.8% | +2.0 | 0.8% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #284 → #379 → #582 → #486 → #523
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Buena Vista Middle a good middle school?
Buena Vista Middle has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 69th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #523 statewide. 17.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Buena Vista Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 49.8% of students at Buena Vista Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 32.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.2% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 618 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Buena Vista Middle rank in California?
Buena Vista Middle ranks #523 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 69th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Buena Vista Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Buena Vista Middle increases by 2.0 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Buena Vista Middle?
9.5% of students at Buena Vista Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 0.8%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Buena Vista Middle compare to other schools in Salinas?
Buena Vista Middle scores 47/100 (69th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 321 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Buena Vista Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Buena Vista Middle in Salinas, 46.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Buena Vista Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 62 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.