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South Valley Middle · Gilroy

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

South Valley posts 28% meeting the standard and 9.9% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

7881 Murray Avenue, 95020 (opens in new tab)·Gilroy Unified·Gilroy·Grades 6-8·784 students·56% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(669) 205-5200·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3343
% Exceeded10%17%
% Met+28%39%
Growth+4.5+1.5
Absence22.4%18.5%
Suspension12.9%3.7%
Scope Score
33
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #1,568 statewide · #4 of 4 in Gilroy Unified

South Valley Middle scores 33 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 30th 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 “28% proficient” and call it done. South Valley deserves a closer read. The school sits in Gilroy, where more than half of 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 30th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 28% meet the standard today, versus 34% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 640%35%29%35%30%
Grade 736%42%36%35%32%
Grade 838%36%33%38%33%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 631%26%23%24%21%
Grade 732%32%34%29%27%
Grade 827%17%25%26%27%

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%
21%
70%
Grade 6 · 30% proficient
10%
22%
68%
Grade 7 · 32% proficient
26%
67%
Grade 8 · 33% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 1.9pp across grades; the floor rises 3.3pp. 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 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
9.9%
State 16.8%
6.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+4.5pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
28.4%
State 39.3%
10.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.4%
State 18.5%
3.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
12.9%
State 3.7%
9.3pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
24.2%
State 18.0%
6.3pp 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 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 South Valley Middle in Gilroy, 24.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. South Valley Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (26.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 499 students tested.

All students at this school: 28% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 28%, district —, state 39%28%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 24%, district 28%, state 32%24% · −5 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 22%, district 26%, state 32%22% · −7 vs school
MaleMale: this school 28%, district 36%, state 42%28% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 29%, district 37%, state 44%29% · +1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 2%, district 8%, state 11%2% · −26 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 11%, district 10%, state 15%11% · −17 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 31%, district 43%, state 56%31% · +2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 51%, district 59%, state 56%51% · +23 vs school

7 of 16 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 4.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.5pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 22.4%, district 22.9%, state 18.5%22.4% · +3.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 12.9%, district —, state 3.7%12.9% · +9.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–617.3%
Grades 7–825.1%

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 24:1, district 24:124:1
Teaching staff34 teachers
Avg. experience10.8 years
Fully credentialed81%
First-year teachers12%
Intern / emergency permit5.5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$69,898 – $130,809
Principal salary$174,781 – $198,815
Superintendent salary$289,563

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,162, CA average $14,815$18,162 · spent at this school
Federal share$734 per student

$734 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,856 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
Instruction60%
Instruction support12%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance11%
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$12,571 per pupil
2019$11,655 per pupil
2018$12,490 per pupil
2017$11,239 per pupil
2016$10,573 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic80.5%
District 70.8% · CA 56.1%
Other10.5%
District 11.5% · CA 9.0%
White5.2%
District 11.5% · CA 19.9%
Asian2.8%
District 4.9% · CA 10.2%
Black1.0%
District 1.2% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 55.6% (8pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$137K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.06M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+29% · CA 35%
ZIP population67,181
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 22% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is South Valley Middle a good middle school?

South Valley Middle has a Scope Score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the 30th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,568 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 South Valley Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.4% of students at South Valley Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.5% 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. 1,498 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does South Valley Middle rank in California?

South Valley Middle ranks #1,568 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 30th 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 South Valley Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at South Valley Middle increases by 4.5 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 South Valley Middle?

22.4% of students at South Valley Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 12.9%. 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 South Valley Middle compare to other schools in Gilroy?

South Valley Middle scores 33/100 (30th 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 784 students. Use the schools in Gilroy page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does South Valley Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At South Valley Middle in Gilroy, 24.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. South Valley Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (26.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 499 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 Gilroy →

Private alternatives nearby

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

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%
+4.5pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 47th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
28.4%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 41th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
22.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 45th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
12.9%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 13th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
24.2%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 62599%21%28%42%30%−16
Grade 724910%22%22%47%32%−16
Grade 82427%26%29%38%33%−13
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625911%10%27%51%21%−14
Grade 724811%16%25%48%27%−7
Grade 824112%15%22%51%27%−5
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112445%17%66%13%

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 Disadvantaged49924.4%−5−14
Hispanic/Latino59826.6%−5−12
English Learners1931.6%−6−9
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
South Valley Middle ←—339.9%28.4%+4.512.9%
Solorsano Middle1.8 mi4117.9%37.7%+3.28.0%
Brownell Middle0.7 mi3817.4%36.2%+3.010.2%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193231#137613.2%34.1%13.7%12.4%-2.8pp
20222825#16149.7%31.1%25.7%10.5%-4.3pp
20233741#12878.0%30.1%25.0%8.2%+2.6pp
20243029#15669.8%31.2%21.2%10.1%+2.8pp
20253330#15689.9%28.4%22.4%12.9%+4.5pp
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 14 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
Female11.8%20.4%+8.6pp
Male15.5%24.3%+8.8pp
Asian5.0%9.1%+4.1pp
Black/African American0.0%——
Filipino6.3%26.0%+19.7pp
White0.0%14.3%+14.3pp
Hispanic/Latino14.7%23.2%+8.5pp
Two or More Races12.5%12.5%+0.0pp
Students with Disabilities19.8%29.6%+9.8pp
English Learners13.2%24.5%+11.3pp
Homeless47.4%54.8%+7.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged15.8%26.8%+11.0pp
All Students13.7%22.5%+8.8pp
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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