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Taft Middle

Q: Is Taft Middle a good school?

Taft Middle ranks 1654 th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1654^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 40% of California middle schools

Summary

Taft Middle is a public school serving about 410 students in grades 6 through 8 in the San Diego Unified district, located in an area with a mix of other middle schools that show a wide range of academic performance.

Academically, Taft Middle faces significant challenges, with student proficiency in core subjects like math, English, and science falling below both the district and state averages; for example, only about 25% of students are proficient in math compared to 37% statewide. The school's overall state ranking has also dropped noticeably in recent years. When compared to nearby schools, the difference is stark: high-performing schools like De Portola Middle and Lewis Middle have proficiency rates that are often double those at Taft. Interestingly, some charter schools, such as Magnolia Science Academy San Diego, achieve much stronger results with similar student demographics and fewer resources per student.

Despite these academic struggles, Taft Middle has a notable strength in student attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate better than the district average and better than many schools with similar challenges, including Innovation Middle and Montgomery Middle. The school also shows historical strength in supporting vulnerable groups, such as students experiencing homelessness. However, performance for some student subgroups has declined sharply, and the school's year-to-year results are volatile, suggesting a need for more consistent instructional strategies to translate good attendance into stronger academic achievement.

410

Students ?

20.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,248

Per pupil spending ?

65.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9191 Gramercy Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123-4015

(858) 935-2650

District: San Diego Unified

Students who attend Taft Middle usually attend:

High:	Kearny College Connections
	Kearny Digital Media & Design
	Kearny Eng Innov & Design
	Kearny School of Biomedical Science and Technology

Feeder schools for Taft Middle:

Elementary:	Angier Elementary
	Cubberley Elementary
	Jones Elementary
	Juarez Elementary
	More...
	Wegeforth Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.7%

White:

15.4%

African American:

15.4%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Taft Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 38th percentile in 2013 → 40th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (30% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 15 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg49%

California avg41%

1,654^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 23Middle Schools in the San Diego Unified

577^th of 1,543San Diego Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	1654 of 2761	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	1256 of 2783	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	1154 of 2781	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.3	1427 of 2740	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	1279 of 2715	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.6	1379 of 2480	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.6	1382 of 2508	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.6	1174 of 2497	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.8	1151 of 2477	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	38.5	1475 of 2379	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.9	1198 of 2259	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.8	1451 of 2236	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.1	1198 of 2179	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.2	1054 of 2063	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	38.9	1190 of 2005	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.6	1100 of 1999	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.2	1062 of 1804	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.0	1106 of 1777	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	37.2	1032 of 1769	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.5	362 of 609	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	329 of 627	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	314 of 613	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.9	363 of 637	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.9	169 of 643	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	53.3	238 of 600	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.6	463 of 743	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	10.6	652 of 733	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	561 of 745	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	600 of 700	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	35.2	889 of 1531	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.7	226 of 1491	84.8%	★★★★☆
2018	66.8	282 of 1369	79.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	39.8	772 of 1540	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	555 of 1442	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	516 of 1364	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.8	1624 of 2533	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	1297 of 2551	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.6	1042 of 2531	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.2	1552 of 2509	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.8	1297 of 2380	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	1341 of 2262	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.2	1684 of 2395	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.6	1173 of 2388	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	961 of 2374	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.8	889 of 2359	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.8	1197 of 2213	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.1	1124 of 2072	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	101 of 477	78.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.9	1611 of 2542	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.3	1097 of 2579	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.3	1106 of 2531	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	1133 of 2458	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	1025 of 2369	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.3	1043 of 2230	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	1461 of 2534	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	1053 of 2552	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.0	1095 of 2538	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	1096 of 2527	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.8	1050 of 2407	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.9	1231 of 2273	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.0	120 of 194	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.8	91 of 197	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	120 of 193	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	551 of 726	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	568 of 701	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	475 of 677	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	436 of 665	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.1	456 of 554	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	398 of 462	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	830 of 1566	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	864 of 1552	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.7	562 of 1531	63.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.3	1175 of 1520	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.4	755 of 1537	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	990 of 1543	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.6	1246 of 1555	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.2	1065 of 1602	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.7	1069 of 1496	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Homeless (2025)79th percentile+39 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)50th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)47th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)42nd percentile-6 vs school

African American (2025)41st percentile~ school

Military Connected (2025)38th percentile~ school

Asian (2024)38th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)37th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)30th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)24th percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)23rd percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy40%-9 vs state

Mathematics25%-12 vs state

Science18%-15 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 10, 2019

The teachers and staff do not communicate with parents unless the problem has become so out of hand that they have no other options. I feel there are very few faculty members who want to see the students succeed. My experience has been that they micromanage the children and use positions of authority to intimidate anyone who questions them. Communication is nonexistent, so be sure to check your child's grades frequently if you are concerned. Do not expect email responses back from administration or teachers it is the exception, not the rule.

Also, if your child has an IEP, 504, or has been behaviorally "problematic" in the past, do not send them here. They will walk around with a target on their back and a label on their forehead, marking them as a "bad kid." Do not expect the administration to go out of their way to help your child. They will only do that if THEY feel the different has potential Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 7, 2012

THIS SCHOOL IS HORRIBLE!!! The staff and Teacher there do not care about education for the children..." No Child Left Behind Act" ahahA! Your child will get left behind. There not encouraging,They don't interact with the parents whatsoever,and they treat the children like failures....TERRIBLE SCHOOL!!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Taft Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Taft Middle	Public	6-8	9191 Gramercy Dr.	San Diego	92123	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 935-2650	410	20	20.6	65.6%	63 (15.4%)	63 (15.4%)	171 (41.7%)	47 (11.5%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	60 (14.6%)	34.8	1654^th of 2761 public middle schools	40.1%		46.8	1256^th of 2783 public middle schools	54.9%	398	17.8	17.8	35.0	44.2	41.7	40.3	22.5	25.7	26.4	24.8	$21,248	$3,361	$17,887
Farb Middle	Public	6-8	4880 La Cuenta Dr.	San Diego	92124	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 397-6750	443	29	15.4	67.7%	134 (30.2%)	52 (11.7%)	165 (37.2%)	27 (6.1%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.9%)	56 (12.6%)	61.6	863^rd of 2761 public middle schools	68.7%		53.2	1062^nd of 2783 public middle schools	61.8%	199	32.0	32.0	52.0	56.6	64.3	57.4	40.5	26.2	39.5	35.8	$22,258	$3,279	$18,979
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego	Public, Charter	6-8	6525 Estrella Ave.	San Diego	92120	San Diego County	Magnolia Science Academy San Diego District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 644-1300	464	17	26.9	34.1%	171 (36.9%)	17 (3.7%)	157 (33.8%)	53 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	62 (13.4%)	91	251^st of 2761 public middle schools	90.9%		91.9	230^th of 2783 public middle schools	91.7%	21	64.9	64.9	69.2	73.7	74.6	72.4	54.5	65.4	60.5	60.1	$14,808	$470	$14,338
Montgomery Middle	Public	6-8	2470 Ulric St.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 397-6600	337	17	19.3	86.1%	22 (6.5%)	30 (8.9%)	211 (62.6%)	63 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.0%)	36.8	1591^st of 2761 public middle schools	42.4%		27.7	1912^th of 2783 public middle schools	31.3%	321	20.6	20.6	31.0	45.0	44.2	39.6	24.2	32.0	24.5	26.8	$25,340	$4,868	$20,472
De Portola Middle	Public	6-8	11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.	San Diego	92124	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 496-8080	680	29	23.7	45.0%	239 (35.1%)	29 (4.3%)	245 (36.0%)	65 (9.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	97 (14.3%)	90.5	264^th of 2761 public middle schools	90.4%		88.7	303^rd of 2783 public middle schools	89.1%	39	54.3	54.3	72.7	77.5	66.7	72.3	62.3	63.4	56.5	60.8	$19,792	$2,696	$17,096
Lewis Middle	Public	6-8	5170 Greenbrier Ave.	San Diego	92120	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4300	1,013	42	23.8	48.5%	347 (34.3%)	66 (6.5%)	316 (31.2%)	157 (15.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	124 (12.2%)	83.3	409^th of 2761 public middle schools	85.2%		87.6	332^nd of 2783 public middle schools	88.1%	77	53.7	53.7	57.2	59.2	70.6	62.5	52.8	54.5	60.1	55.9	$18,399	$2,377	$16,022
High Technical Middle Mesa	Public, Charter	6-8	5331 Mt. Alifan Dr.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	High Technical Middle Mesa District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4600	352	24	14.5	41.2%	121 (34.4%)	13 (3.7%)	123 (34.9%)	70 (19.9%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.1%)	16 (4.5%)	60	906^th of 2761 public middle schools	67.2%		66.3	760^th of 2783 public middle schools	72.7%	146	26.4	26.4	52.1	57.1	46.9	52.1	45.3	42.0	35.1	40.9	$12,683	$1,013	$11,670
Wilson Middle	Public	6-8	3838 Orange Ave.	San Diego	92105	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-3400	712	36	19.6	95.6%	18 (2.5%)	62 (8.7%)	532 (74.7%)	85 (11.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (1.7%)	20.3	2213^th of 2761 public middle schools	19.8%		23.3	2113^th of 2783 public middle schools	24.1%	100	13.1	13.1	29.4	35.7	32.3	32.6	12.4	15.4	12.3	13.4	$19,535	$3,334	$16,201
Innovation Middle	Public	6-8	5095 Arvinels Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 278-5948	350	21	16.5	80.0%	56 (16.0%)	15 (4.3%)	204 (58.3%)	37 (10.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	33 (9.4%)	54.5	1056^th of 2761 public middle schools	61.8%		55.3	1008^th of 2783 public middle schools	63.8%	48	46.7	46.7	42.7	38.8	60.0	49.1	29.3	15.2	36.7	28.5	$23,326	$3,154	$20,172
Creative Performing and Media Arts	Public	6-8	5050 Conrad Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 800-5550	614	35	17.3	77.4%	90 (14.7%)	76 (12.4%)	352 (57.3%)	51 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.2%)	28.4	1879^th of 2761 public middle schools	31.9%		26.4	1979^th of 2783 public middle schools	28.9%	100	16.2	16.2	39.2	42.4	34.0	38.4	21.7	20.0	14.7	18.6	$23,460	$4,929	$18,531

Frequently Asked Questions about Taft Middle

What is the racial makeup of Taft Middle?

Students at Taft Middle are 42% Hispanic, 15% White, 15% African American, 15% Two or more races, 11% Asian.

What district is Taft Middle in?

San Diego Unified

What high school do graduates of Taft Middle attend?

Students who attend Taft Middle usually go on to attend Kearny College Connections

How many students attend Taft Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended Taft Middle.

Is Taft Middle a good school?

Taft Middle ranks 1654^th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Taft Middle!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.