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Live Oak Middle · Live Oak

Live Oak Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Live Oak posts 43% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

2082 Pennington Road, 95953 (opens in new tab)·Live Oak Unified·Live Oak·Grades 6-8·413 students·83% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 695-5435
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4443
% Exceeded15%17%
% Met+43%39%
Growth-6.1+1.5
Absence19.0%18.5%
Suspension4.2%3.7%
Scope Score
44
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #971 statewide

Live Oak Middle scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 57th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “43% proficient” and call it done. Live Oak deserves a closer read. The school sits in Live Oak, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Live Oak's low-income kids hit 48.8% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Climbed from the 40th to the 57th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 200 middle schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 43% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 652%41%41%47%64%
Grade 752%33%50%46%40%
Grade 854%41%46%47%53%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 637%33%32%26%36%
Grade 734%18%27%30%28%
Grade 831%19%24%29%35%

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.

17%
47%
36%
Grade 6 · 64% proficient
8%
31%
61%
Grade 7 · 39% proficient
14%
39%
47%
Grade 8 · 53% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.1pp across grades; the floor slips 11.1pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

48.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Live Oak's most underrated number

48.8% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Live Oak low-income: 48.8%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
14.9%
State 16.8%
1.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-6.1pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
42.7%
State 39.3%
3.4pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
19.0%
State 18.5%
0.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
4.2%
State 3.7%
0.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
25.5%
State 18.0%
7.5pp above 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.

  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Live Oak Middle in Live Oak, 48.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 48.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Live Oak Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 320 students tested.

All students at this school: 42% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 42%, district —, state 39%42%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 39%, district 41%, state 32%39% · −4 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 39%, district 42%, state 32%39% · −3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 43%, district 43%, state 42%43% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 46%, state 44%42% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 52%, district 50%, state 56%52% · +9 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 6%, district 12%, state 15%6% · −36 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 9%, district 16%, state 11%9% · −33 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 42%, district 49%, state 72%42% · −0 vs school

8 of 17 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 falls by 5.4pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -6.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 19.0%, district 20.6%, state 18.5%19.0% · +0.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.2%, district —, state 3.7%4.2% · +0.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–616.4%
Grades 7–820.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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 18:1, district 21:118:1
Teaching staff26 teachers
Avg. experience12.3 years
Fully credentialed87%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$43,000 – $129,534
Principal salary$180,189 – $201,500
Superintendent salary$236,100

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,872, CA average $14,815$18,872 · spent at this school
Federal share$248 per student

$248 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,560 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support8%
Student services13%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other1%

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$13,759 per pupil
2019$13,124 per pupil
2018$12,518 per pupil
2017$11,921 per pupil
2016$11,135 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic63.7%
District 59.7% · CA 56.1%
White22.5%
District 24.3% · CA 19.9%
Asian10.7%
District 11.7% · CA 10.2%
Other1.9%
District 2.6% · CA 9.0%
Black1.2%
District 1.8% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 82.6% (19pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$75K · CA $85K
Median home value$377K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+16% · CA 35%
ZIP population11,028
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 413 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 36% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Live Oak Middle a good middle school?

Live Oak Middle has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 57th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #971 statewide. 14.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Live Oak Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 42.7% of students at Live Oak Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.9% 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. 781 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Live Oak Middle rank in California?

Live Oak Middle ranks #971 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 57th 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 Live Oak Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Live Oak Middle decreases by 6.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Live Oak Middle?

19.0% of students at Live Oak Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 4.2%. 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 Live Oak Middle compare to other schools in Live Oak?

Live Oak Middle scores 44/100 (57th 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 413 students. Use the schools in Live Oak page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Live Oak Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Live Oak Middle in Live Oak, 48.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 48.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Live Oak Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 320 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

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


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%
14.9%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 48th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-6.1pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
42.7%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
19.0%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 49th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.2%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 48th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
25.5%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 56th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 611817%47%19%17%64%+18
Grade 71318%31%27%33%40%−8
Grade 813714%39%31%16%53%+7
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 612218%18%30%34%36%+1
Grade 713316%12%30%42%28%−6
Grade 814016%19%24%41%35%+3
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111406%30%56%7%

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 Disadvantaged32048.8%+0+11
Hispanic/Latino25048.4%−1+10
White8259.8%+3−2
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Live Oak Middle ←4414.9%42.7%−6.14.2%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193540#121011.4%43.3%8.2%4.0%-1.9pp
20222928#15559.5%30.9%33.0%6.3%-6.5pp
20233846#11869.8%36.6%21.5%5.0%-1.6pp
20243748#115411.7%37.5%17.7%4.9%+1.4pp
20254457#97114.9%42.7%19.0%4.2%-6.1pp
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
Female7.9%17.9%+10.0pp
Male8.5%20.0%+11.5pp
Asian2.1%10.4%+8.3pp
Hispanic/Latino5.0%15.1%+10.1pp
Students with Disabilities15.9%35.6%+19.7pp
English Learners4.0%11.1%+7.1pp
Military-Connected0.0%5.0%+5.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.7%20.3%+11.6pp
All Students8.2%19.0%+10.8pp
Homeless72.7%
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