Summary:
This analysis looks at two public middle schools, serving grades 7-8, within the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District in the neighboring coastal communities of Seaside and Marina.
Both Seaside Middle and Los Arboles Middle serve student populations with high economic need, but they show different strengths. Seaside Middle stands out for its exceptionally strong attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 9.7% that is far better than the district and state averages. Los Arboles Middle shows the most improvement, significantly increasing its statewide ranking over the past few years and outperforming Seaside Middle in English, math, and science proficiency.
An interesting finding is that higher attendance at Seaside Middle has not yet translated to higher test scores, as it has the lowest math proficiency of the two schools. Conversely, Los Arboles Middle has a high chronic absenteeism rate but better academic results. Both schools perform below the Monterey Peninsula Unified district average in all subjects, indicating common challenges. For parents, this highlights the importance of looking at multiple factors—like academic growth, attendance culture, and per-student resources—when comparing these two schools.
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