Middle Schools in Pasadena Unified

Summary:

This analysis examines three middle schools (grades 6-8) within the Pasadena Unified School District, revealing significant performance differences among Sierra Madre Middle, Octavia E. Butler Magnet, and Charles W. Eliot Middle.

Sierra Madre Middle stands out as the top performer, ranking in the 89th percentile statewide with test scores well above district and state averages and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 11.7%. Octavia E. Butler Magnet shows promising improvement, moving from the 21st to the 36th percentile, while Charles W. Eliot Middle faces the greatest challenges, ranking in the 20th percentile with the highest chronic absenteeism at 31.7%.

An interesting finding is the inverse relationship between per-student spending and outcomes; the highest-performing school has the lowest funding, while the school with the greatest challenges receives the most funding per student. The district as a whole ranks at the 54th percentile, with chronic absenteeism higher than the state average, indicating attendance is a key area for focus across Pasadena Unified.

District Detail

351 South Hudson Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101-3507

(626) 396-3600

SchoolDigger Rank:
717^th of 1543 California districts

See the 2025 California District rankings!

Grades served: K-12
Students: 13,639

Primary Schools: 14
Middle Schools: 3
High Schools: 5
Alternative Schools: 1

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
Charles W. Eliot Middle	Public	6-8	2184 North Lake Ave.	Altadena	91001	Los Angeles County	Pasadena Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(626) 396-5680	407	24	16.8	74.4%	51 (12.5%)	91 (22.4%)	219 (53.8%)	15 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.1%)	20.2	2215^th of 2761 public middle schools	19.8%		18.7	2311^th of 2783 public middle schools	17.0%	96	14.7	14.7	32.8	28.9	26.6	29.7	12.5	17.6	17.4	15.6	$32,624	$6,640	$25,984
Octavia E. Butler Magnet	Public	6-8	1505 North Marengo Ave.	Pasadena	91103	Los Angeles County	Pasadena Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(626) 396-5830	481	26	18.4	70.3%	47 (9.8%)	45 (9.4%)	351 (73.0%)	13 (2.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	31.6	1772^nd of 2761 public middle schools	35.8%		21.3	2204^th of 2783 public middle schools	20.8%	432	21.7	21.7	39.5	41.1	31.4	36.9	30.1	18.6	18.7	22.4	$27,105	$4,089	$23,016
Sierra Madre Middle	Public	6-8	160 North Canon Ave.	Sierra Madre	91024	Los Angeles County	Pasadena Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(626) 396-5910	597	25	23.5	39.2%	198 (33.2%)	28 (4.7%)	181 (30.3%)	116 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	72 (12.1%)	88.6	301^st of 2761 public middle schools	89.1%		89.9	280^th of 2783 public middle schools	89.9%	21	55.4	55.4	67.1	71.4	66.5	68.3	59.5	57.3	61.4	59.3	$24,983	$3,980	$21,003

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
OCS - South District	1.17 mi	1	324^th
Los Angeles County Office of Education	1.19 mi	35
Odyssey Charter District	1.81 mi	1	115^th
Alma Fuerte Public District	1.83 mi	1	1477^th
Aveson School of Leaders District	1.84 mi	1	346^th

See the top CA California districts

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.