Middle Schools in Saddleback Valley Unified

Summary:

This analysis examines four middle schools serving grades 7-8 within the Saddleback Valley Unified school district in California, revealing a range of academic performance and student demographics.

La Paz Intermediate stands out as the top performer, achieving the highest test scores and statewide ranking (90th percentile) among the group, while Los Alisos Intermediate faces the greatest challenges, with the lowest scores and a student population where a significantly higher percentage qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is notable for its large size and the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate, and Serrano Intermediate falls in the middle on most academic metrics.

Key insights show that higher per-student spending does not directly correlate with better academic results in this district, and all four schools excel at keeping chronic absenteeism well below state and district averages. The performance gap between schools is most pronounced in science scores. For parents, this indicates that while all schools in Saddleback Valley Unified maintain strong attendance, academic outcomes vary, with La Paz and Rancho Santa Margarita consistently demonstrating higher proficiency levels.

District Detail

25631 Peter A. Hartman Way
Mission Viejo, CA 92691-3142

(949) 586-1234

SchoolDigger Rank:
377^th of 1543 California districts

See the 2025 California District rankings!

Grades served: K-12
Students: 22,646

Primary Schools: 22
Middle Schools: 4
High Schools: 6
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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	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
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate	Public	7-8	21931 Alma Aldea	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 459-8253	1,153	48	24.0	29.1%	529 (45.9%)	14 (1.2%)	302 (26.2%)	180 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.4%)	123 (10.7%)	86.6	342^nd of 2761 public middle schools	87.6%		89.1	298^th of 2783 public middle schools	89.3%	44	55.8	55.8	67.8	59.4	63.7	59.0	59.2	59.1	$17,967	$1,361	$16,606
La Paz Intermediate	Public	7-8	25151 Pradera Dr.	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 830-1720	713	33	21.8	39.7%	310 (43.5%)	7 (1.0%)	223 (31.3%)	89 (12.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (11.5%)	90.2	274^th of 2761 public middle schools	90.1%		90.8	261^st of 2783 public middle schools	90.6%	13	57.1	57.1	75.4	64.1	69.5	70.4	55.7	62.8	$19,045	$1,362	$17,683
Los Alisos Intermediate	Public	7-8	25171 Moor Ave.	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 830-9700	595	29	20.5	74.5%	93 (15.6%)	2 (0.3%)	429 (72.1%)	47 (7.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.5%)	52.8	1104^th of 2761 public middle schools	60.0%		53.1	1066^th of 2783 public middle schools	61.7%	38	33.0	33.0	48.4	40.1	44.3	41.5	31.9	36.7	$19,306	$1,735	$17,571
Serrano Intermediate	Public	7-8	24642 Jeronimo Rd.	Lake Forest	92630	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 586-3221	868	39	22.3	48.7%	272 (31.3%)	16 (1.8%)	391 (45.0%)	108 (12.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	78 (9.0%)	75.3	578^th of 2761 public middle schools	79.1%		79.1	501^st of 2783 public middle schools	82.0%	77	49.5	49.5	55.0	58.4	56.6	48.8	46.0	47.4	$19,308	$1,376	$17,932

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County District	1.29 mi	1	48^th
Capistrano Unified	1.3 mi	65	193^rd
Orange County Department of Education	2 mi	16
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle District	2 mi	1	58^th
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley District	2 mi	1	40^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.