School Profile · Salinas
San Benancio Middle: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.
San Benancio posts 61% meeting the standard; 30.0% push past it. Steady is worth something — and the gap between those two numbers is the thing to ask about.
43 San Benancio Road, 93908·Washington Union Elementary·Salinas·Grades 6-8·261 students·10% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 484-1172·Website
Scope Score
57
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #294 statewide
San Benancio Middle scores 57 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 83rd 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 “61% proficient” and call it done. San Benancio deserves a closer read. It sits at the 83rd percentile of 1,714 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The headline number: 7.9% 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.
27%
39%
34%
Grade 6 · 66% proficient
25%
50%
25%
Grade 7 · 75% proficient
32%
27%
41%
Grade 8 · 59% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.4pp across grades; the floor slips 6.7pp. 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
30.0%
State 17.3%
12.7pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
60.8%
State 39.5%
21.3pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-5.2pp
State +0.8pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
7.9%
State 19.1%
11.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
4.2%
State 4.2%
0.0pp 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
Also serves area
▼
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.
York School
York Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades 8-12 · 181 students
8:1Private4.8 mi
Chartwell School
Numa Watson Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades 2-12 · 160 students
5:1Private6.2 mi
Palma School
Iverson St · Roman Catholic · Grades 6-12 · 457 students
15:1Private6.7 mi
Sacred Heart School
W Market St · Roman Catholic · Grades Pre-K-8 · 337 students
20:1Private7.7 mi
All Saints' Episcopal Day School
Carmel Valley Rd · Church of God · Grades Pre-K-8 · 204 students
6:1Private7.2 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic28.7%
White52.9%
Asian6.9%
Other11.5%
GenderFemale 46.4%Male 53.6%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
261
599 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
10%
53pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,984
District avg: $11,148 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$56,284 – $102,372
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At San Benancio Middle in Salinas, 73.5% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 70.2% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. San Benancio Middle outperforms its district average for white students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (63.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 15.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 132 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+6.4pp
14.3% vs 7.9% overall · n=35
Suspension · Low-Income+9.7pp
13.9% vs 4.2% overall · n=36
Math · Hispanic−17.9pp
36.7% vs 54.6% overall · n=72
3 more gaps by subject
ELA · Hispanic−15.0pp
52.1% vs 67.0% overall · n=72
ELA Exceeded · Hispanic−10.5pp
17.4% vs 27.9% overall · n=72
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−16.5pp
15.5% vs 32.0% overall · n=72
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
White133 tested
ELA 73.5%·Math 63.2%· +3.3pp vs district
Hispanic72 tested
ELA 51.4%·Math 36.1%· -6.1pp 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.
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
11.3 years avg experience
12 teachers · 17% first-year
Teacher Credentials
52% fully credentialed
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%
30.0%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 63th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
60.8%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 66th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-5.2pp
↓ vs CA +0.8pp · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
7.9%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.2%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 50th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 71 | 27% | 39% | 27% | 7% | 66% | +20 |
| Grade 7 | 96 | 25% | 50% | 15% | 10% | 75% | +27 |
| Grade 8 | 84 | 32% | 27% | 25% | 15% | 60% | +13 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 71 | 27% | 31% | 30% | 13% | 58% | +23 |
| Grade 7 | 96 | 29% | 23% | 25% | 23% | 52% | +18 |
| Grade 8 | 85 | 40% | 14% | 22% | 24% | 54% | +22 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 86 | 26% | 24% | 45% | 5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 132 | 73.5% | +3 | +12 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 72 | 51.4% | −6 | +13 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benancio Middle ← | — | 57 | 30.0% | 60.8% | −5.2 | 4.2% |
| 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 #316 → #180 → #365 → #163 → #294
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 San Benancio Middle a good middle school?
San Benancio Middle has a Scope Score of 57 out of 100, placing it in the 83rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #294 statewide. 30.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 percentage points above 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 San Benancio Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 60.8% of students at San Benancio Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 30.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 30.0% 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. 503 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does San Benancio Middle rank in California?
San Benancio Middle ranks #294 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 83rd 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 San Benancio Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at San Benancio Middle decreases by 5.2 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 San Benancio Middle?
7.9% of students at San Benancio 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 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 San Benancio Middle compare to other schools in Salinas?
San Benancio Middle scores 57/100 (83rd 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 261 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does San Benancio Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At San Benancio Middle in Salinas, 73.5% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 70.2% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. San Benancio Middle outperforms its district average for white students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (63.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 15.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 132 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.