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Julian Junior High · Julian

Julian Junior High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Julian posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 13.4pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

1704 Cape Horn Avenue, 92036 (opens in new tab)·Julian Union Elementary·Julian·Grades 6-8·110 students·65% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 765-0661
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3043
% Exceeded10%17%
% Met+26%39%
Growth+13.4+1.5
Absence7.0%18.5%
Suspension9.4%3.7%
Scope Score
30
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,737 statewide · #4 of 4 in Julian Union Elementary

Julian Junior High scores 30 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 22nd percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

📈 On the Rise — Ask how many years the improvement has held, not just the latest one — one strong cohort and a real turnaround can look identical in a single year of data.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “26% proficient” and call it done. Julian deserves a closer read. The school sits in Julian, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 7.0% chronic absenteeism — versus 18.5% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 34th to the 22nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 26% meet the standard today, versus 36% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 639%39%44%17%26%
Grade 733%38%36%29%30%
Grade 841%40%31%33%38%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 648%36%32%22%14%
Grade 718%28%32%33%17%
Grade 838%37%24%42%29%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

9%
17%
74%
Grade 6 · 26% proficient
27%
70%
Grade 7 · 30% proficient
12%
26%
62%
Grade 8 · 38% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
9.9%
State 16.8%
6.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+13.4pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
25.6%
State 39.3%
13.7pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
7.0%
State 18.5%
11.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
9.4%
State 3.7%
5.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
9.1%
State 18.0%
8.9pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Julian Junior High in Julian, 29.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Julian Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 4.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.6 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 students tested.

All students at this school: 26% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 26%, district —, state 39%26%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 29%, state 32%23% · −2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 23%, district 32%, state 42%23% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 27%, district 38%, state 44%27% · +2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 21%, district 25%, state 32%21% · −4 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 33%, district 47%, state 56%33% · +8 vs school

5 of 11 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 6.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +6.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 7.0%, district 7.7%, state 18.5%7.0% · −11.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 9.4%, district —, state 3.7%9.4% · +5.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–65.1%
Grades 7–85.3%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 22:122:1
Teaching staff5 teachers
Avg. experience5.6 years
Fully credentialed80%
First-year teachers40%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,556, CA average $14,815$16,556 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$24,020 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction62%
Instruction support13%
Student services9%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$16,556 per pupil
2019$17,226 per pupil
2018$18,521 per pupil
2017$10,917 per pupil
2016$10,660 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic42.7%
District 36.3% · CA 56.1%
White35.5%
District 48.5% · CA 19.9%
Other20.9%
District 9.4% · CA 9.0%
Black0.9%
District 2.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 64.5% (1pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$74K · CA $85K
Median home value$591K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+34% · CA 35%
ZIP population3,218
Median age54 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 110 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 23% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Julian Junior High a good middle school?

Julian Junior High has a Scope Score of 30 out of 100, placing it in the 22nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,737 statewide. 9.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.9 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Julian Junior High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 25.6% of students at Julian Junior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.9% 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. 199 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Julian Junior High rank in California?

Julian Junior High ranks #1,737 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 22nd 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 Julian Junior High getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Julian Junior High increases by 13.4 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 Julian Junior High?

7.0% of students at Julian Junior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 9.4%. 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 Julian Junior High compare to other schools in Julian?

Julian Junior High scores 30/100 (22nd 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 110 students. Use the schools in Julian page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Julian Junior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Julian Junior High in Julian, 29.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Julian Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 4.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.6 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 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.

Your other options

All schools in Julian →

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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 · 38%
9.9%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 42th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+13.4pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 37th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
25.6%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
7.0%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
9.4%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 27th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
9.1%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 35th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6359%17%37%37%26%−21
Grade 7303%27%30%40%30%−18
Grade 83412%26%21%41%38%−8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6356%9%40%46%14%−21
Grade 73010%7%30%53%17%−17
Grade 83520%9%26%46%29%−4
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11359%14%57%20%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6429.7%−5−9
Hispanic/Latino4228.6%−4−10
White3040.0%−9−22
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Julian Junior High ←—309.9%25.6%+13.49.4%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193334#133212.9%36.5%12.6%6.0%-4.2pp
20224774#56914.4%36.2%8.5%0.2%+0.8pp
20233843#124615.3%33.3%24.9%6.4%-10.7pp
20242826#164711.8%29.5%40.6%16.3%+17.9pp
20253022#17379.9%25.6%7.0%9.4%+13.4pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female12.0%2.0%-10.0pp
Male13.1%7.8%-5.3pp
Hispanic/Latino3.0%3.9%+0.9pp
American Indian/Alaska Native25.0%——
Students with Disabilities22.7%4.0%-18.7pp
Homeless20.0%8.3%-11.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged16.4%5.3%-11.1pp
All Students12.6%5.2%-7.4pp
English Learners—0.0%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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