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Maricopa Middle · Maricopa

Maricopa Middle: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Maricopa posts 19% meeting the standard and 2.1% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

955 Stanislaus Street, 93252 (opens in new tab)·Maricopa Unified·Maricopa·Grades 6-8·71 students·96% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 769-8231·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3443
% Exceeded2%17%
% Met+19%39%
Growth-3.3+1.5
Absence24.4%18.5%
Suspension3.6%3.7%
Scope Score
34
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,481 statewide · #4 of 4 in Maricopa Unified

Maricopa Middle scores 34 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 34th 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 “19% proficient” and call it done. Maricopa deserves a closer read. The school sits in Maricopa, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 34th percentile since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 19% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 613%17%16%15%24%
Grade 726%21%18%17%32%
Grade 843%29%4%21%16%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 60%0%0%11%14%
Grade 716%0%7%4%14%
Grade 817%10%0%4%16%

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.

24%
76%
Grade 6 · 24% proficient
32%
68%
Grade 7 · 32% proficient
11%
84%
Grade 8 · 16% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.3pp across grades; the floor slips 8.0pp. 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 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
2.1%
State 16.8%
14.8pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-3.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
19.4%
State 39.3%
19.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
24.4%
State 18.5%
5.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
3.6%
State 3.7%
0.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
33.3%
State 18.0%
15.4pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Maricopa Middle in Maricopa, 25.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Maricopa Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (23.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 67 students tested.

All students at this school: 20% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 20%, district —, state 39%20%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 20%, district 20%, state 32%20% · +0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 21%, district 17%, state 32%21% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 21%, district 24%, state 42%21% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 18%, district 13%, state 44%18% · −2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 33%, district 33%, state 56%33% · +13 vs school

8 of 14 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 8.0pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -8.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 24.4%, district 18.5%, state 18.5%24.4% · +5.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.6%, district —, state 3.7%3.6% · −0.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–624.0%
Grades 7–826.4%

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 32:118:1
Teaching staff5 teachers
Avg. experience5.4 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers40%

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,940, CA average $14,815$22,940 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$2,020 per student

$2,020 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$30,668 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support6%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%

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$19,796 per pupil
2019$20,757 per pupil
2018$20,036 per pupil
2017$990 per pupil
2016$1,327 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic57.8%
District 37.6% · CA 56.1%
White35.2%
District 44.1% · CA 19.9%
Other7.0%
District 10.9% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 95.8% (32pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$44K · CA $85K
Median home value$162K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+6% · CA 35%
ZIP population1,295
Median age40 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 71 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 11% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Maricopa Middle a good middle school?

Maricopa Middle has a Scope Score of 34 out of 100, placing it in the 34th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,481 statewide. 2.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.8 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 Maricopa Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 19.4% of students at Maricopa Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.1% 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. 136 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Maricopa Middle rank in California?

Maricopa Middle ranks #1,481 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 34th 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 Maricopa Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Maricopa Middle decreases by 3.3 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 Maricopa Middle?

24.4% of students at Maricopa Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 3.6%. 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 Maricopa Middle compare to other schools in Maricopa?

Maricopa Middle scores 34/100 (34th 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 71 students. Use the schools in Maricopa page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Maricopa Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Maricopa Middle in Maricopa, 25.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Maricopa Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (23.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 67 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


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%
2.1%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 34th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-3.3pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
19.4%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 34th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
24.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 42th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.6%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 50th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
33.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 64th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6210%24%38%38%24%−23
Grade 7280%32%11%57%32%−16
Grade 8195%11%26%58%16%−30
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6210%14%48%38%14%−21
Grade 7287%7%21%64%14%−20
Grade 8190%16%5%79%16%−16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11190%11%74%16%

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 Disadvantaged6725.4%+2−13
Hispanic/Latino3923.1%+4−16
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Maricopa Middle ←342.1%19.4%−3.33.6%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193641#11763.2%19.3%23.2%7.1%+23.9pp
20222828#15671.4%12.8%28.6%12.7%+10.4pp
2023182#21421.2%7.5%37.7%22.0%-5.9pp
2024198#20331.3%12.1%24.1%16.1%-0.5pp
20253434#14812.1%19.4%24.4%3.6%-3.3pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 13 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female30.2%22.2%-8.0pp
Male16.7%28.6%+11.9pp
Hispanic/Latino6.5%25.0%+18.5pp
Students with Disabilities12.5%45.5%+33.0pp
English Learners5.3%23.5%+18.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged24.0%24.7%+0.7pp
All Students24.1%25.6%+1.5pp
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