Is Fortuna Middle a good school?

Fortuna Middle ranks in the bottom 24.9% of California middle schools.

How many students attend Fortuna Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 237 students attended Fortuna Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Fortuna Middle?

Students at Fortuna Middle are 44% White, 42% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Fortuna Middle attend?

Students who attend Fortuna Middle usually go on to attend Fortuna Union High

Fortuna Middle

Summary:

Fortuna Middle is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Fortuna Elementary District, with a student population of 237 located in Fortuna, CA. Despite its diverse student body, the school has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom 25% of California middle schools over the past several years.

Fortuna Middle's academic performance is significantly below state averages across all subject areas and grade levels. In 2022-2023, only 27.63% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 46.66%, and just 14.98% were proficient in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 34.62%. The school also faces a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.0% in 2018-2019 to 24.9% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state average and surrounding schools. Additionally, 79.75% of Fortuna Middle's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Fortuna Middle's performance lags behind nearby schools like Toddy Thomas Middle, Sunny Brae Middle, and Freshwater Charter Middle, the school's diverse student population and the strong performance of its English Language Learner and Disabled student subgroups suggest that there may be opportunities to learn from and build upon the school's strengths to improve overall academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 7-8

843 L St.
Fortuna, CA 95540-1921

(707) 725-3415

District: Fortuna Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2103^rd of 2,802 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,409

Students who attend Fortuna Middle usually attend:

High:

Fortuna Union High

Feeder schools for Fortuna Middle:

Elementary:

Linell K. Walker Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 237

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.3%

Hispanic:

42.2%

Two or more races:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.7%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Fortuna Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fortuna Middle ranks worse than 75.1% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.96. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (44.3%), Hispanic (42.2%), two or more races (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fortuna Middle is 15.3. (See more...)

Compare Fortuna Middle employs 15.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fortuna Middle is $11,409.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Fortuna Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Fortuna Middle 2103^rd of 2802 California public middle schools. (See Fortuna Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Fortuna Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fortuna Elementary 1306^th of 1563 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Fortuna Middle

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Rank History for all students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2015	13.15	2252^nd	2477	9.1%
2016	24.23	1862^nd	2497	25.4%
2017	22.81	1941^st	2508	22.6%
2018	26.37	1779^th	2480	28.3%
2019	26.28	1948^th	2715	28.3%
2021	16.90	790^th	894	11.6%
2022	18.07	2304^th	2740	15.9%
2023	23.96	2103^rd	2802	24.9%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.33	665^th	678	1.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	54.13	370^th	1364	72.9%
2022	57.64	334^th	1540	78.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	25.81	1232^nd	1538	19.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.36	1477^th	2230	33.8%
2019	36.51	1444^th	2369	39.0%
2021	23.01	616^th	721	14.6%
2022	23.99	1943^rd	2458	21.0%
2023	28.41	1828^th	2549	28.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.57	1685^th	2262	25.5%
2019	23.41	1844^th	2380	22.5%
2021	20.44	619^th	738	16.1%
2022	23.72	1893^rd	2509	24.6%
2023	25.90	1842^nd	2547	27.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.98	1088^th	1369	20.5%
2019	42.48	698^th	1491	53.2%
2021	27.92	282^nd	354	20.3%
2022	33.87	934^th	1531	39.0%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.57	1566^th	2273	31.1%
2019	28.37	1675^th	2407	30.4%
2021	15.46	707^th	763	7.3%
2022	14.39	2320^th	2527	8.2%
2023	22.23	1989^th	2558	22.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.45	1317^th	2072	36.4%
2019	33.09	1444^th	2213	34.7%
2022	20.50	1987^th	2359	15.8%
2023	25.25	1826^th	2391	23.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fortuna Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.31	1386^th	1496	7.4%
2019	9.49	1479^th	1602	7.7%
2022	12.92	1403^rd	1555	9.8%
2023	13.69	1368^th	1552	11.9%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Fortuna Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2014	142	4	2	97	3	0	4	0	252
2015	120	2	5	123	8	0	7	0	265
2016	98	2	6	118	9	0	9	0	242
2017	108	1	5	129	8	0	6	0	257
2018	83	0	7	121	8	3	6	0	228
2019	83	0	2	125	5	0	11	0	226
2020	90	0	1	125	3	0	14	0	233
2021	75	0	0	123	3	0	15	0	216
2022	86	4	0	136	8	0	25	0	259
2023	105	1	0	100	7	0	23	1	237

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fortuna Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	252	9.0	28.0	72.6
2015	265	10.0	26.5	74.7
2016	242	11.0	22.0	77.7
2017	257	14.4	17.8	74.7
2018	228	13.3	17.0	80.7
2019	226	14.0	16.1	81.4
2020	233	n/a	n/a	80.3
2021	216	13.3	16.1	89.8
2022	259	15.0	17.2	88
2023	237	15.4	15.3	79.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Fortuna Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	252	9.0	28.0	72.6
2015	265	10.0	26.5	74.7
2016	242	11.0	22.0	77.7
2017	257	14.4	17.8	74.7
2018	228	13.3	17.0	80.7
2019	226	14.0	16.1	81.4
2020	233	n/a	n/a	80.3
2021	216	13.3	16.1	89.8
2022	259	15.0	17.2	88
2023	237	15.4	15.3	79.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fortuna Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,409

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fortuna Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1948^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2103^rd of 2802 Middle schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Middle)	18.5	24.2	5.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Elementary)	36	30.1	5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.7	47.1	4.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Middle)	7.4	7.4	0.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Elementary)	18.4	8.2	10.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (California)	38	31.6	6.4%
5th Grade Science (Fortuna Middle)	13	13.2	0.3%
5th Grade Science (Fortuna Elementary)	20.8	14.8	6%
5th Grade Science (California)	31.7	31.2	0.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Middle)	21.9	29.6	7.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Elementary)	26.6	23.9	2.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	45.1	3.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Middle)	6.3	7.3	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Elementary)	17.7	10.2	7.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	32.5	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Middle)	47.8	25	22.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Elementary)	47.3	23.4	24%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Middle)	28.4	13.9	14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Elementary)	22.9	13	9.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Middle)	35.1	29.7	5.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Fortuna Elementary)	43.4	29.7	13.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Middle)	15.8	15.9	0.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fortuna Elementary)	25.4	15.9	9.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Fortuna Middle)	14	17.3	3.3%
8th Grade Science (Fortuna Elementary)	20.5	17.3	3.2%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	226	237	4.9%
African American	0	1
American Indian	5	7	40%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	125	100	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	83	105	26.5%
Two or More Races	11	23	109.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.4%	79.7%	1.7%

Schools Near Fortuna Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CAST Science (2023)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	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 End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Fortuna Middle	Public	7-8	843 L St.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Fortuna Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 725-3415	237	15	15.3	79.7%	105 (44.3%)	1 (0.4%)	100 (42.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.7%)	24	2103^rd of 2802 public middle schools	24.9%		18.1	2304^th of 2740 public middle schools	15.9%	201		17.3	17.3				25.0	29.7	27.6				13.9	15.9	15.0	$11,409
Toddy Thomas Middle	Public	5-8	2800 Thomas St.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Fortuna Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 725-5197	250	15	16.2	80.0%	107 (42.8%)	3 (1.2%)	101 (40.4%)	2 (0.8%)	14 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.2%)								(n/a)	29.7		29.7		34.2	26.9			29.5		19.8	13.5			16.0	$11,409
Monument Middle	Public	6-8	95 Center St.	Rio Dell	95562	Humboldt County	Rio Dell Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 764-3783	98	6	17.7	76.5%	68 (69.4%)	2 (2.0%)	21 (21.4%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)	14.3	2542^nd of 2802 public middle schools	9.3%		26.5	1926^th of 2740 public middle schools	29.7%	616		14.3	14.3			17.7	19.4	10.7	16.1			8.3	13.3	10.7	10.6
South Bay Elementary	Public	4-6	6077 Loma Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	South Bay Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 443-4828	127	6	22.2	75.6%	62 (48.8%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (26.8%)	5 (3.9%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (16.5%)								(n/a)	28.9		28.9	45.3	28.9	11.5			32.3	34.0	22.2	11.5			25.0	$11,582
Winship Middle	Public	6-8	2500 Cypress Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Eureka City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 441-2487	400	18	22.6	68.8%	196 (49.0%)	5 (1.3%)	97 (24.3%)	29 (7.3%)	25 (6.3%)	5 (1.3%)	43 (10.8%)	26.1	1987^th of 2802 public middle schools	29.1%		19.5	2240^th of 2740 public middle schools	18.2%	253		24.1	24.1			28.2	31.3	26.1	28.7			17.7	17.8	11.0	15.2
Catherine L. Zane Middle	Public	6-8	2155 S St.	Eureka	95501	Humboldt County	Eureka City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 441-2470	433	22	19.3	72.7%	179 (41.3%)	8 (1.8%)	118 (27.3%)	50 (11.5%)	18 (4.2%)	5 (1.2%)	55 (12.7%)	39.3	1486^th of 2802 public middle schools	47.0%		42	1400^th of 2740 public middle schools	48.9%	86		27.6	27.6			28.0	38.3	42.8	36.6			23.9	24.3	22.8	23.6
Freshwater Charter Middle	Public, Charter	7-8	75 Greenwood Heights Dr.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Freshwater Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 442-2969	43	2	21.5	46.5%	31 (72.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (20.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.0%)	82.9	413^th of 2802 public middle schools	85.3%		91.2	245^th of 2740 public middle schools	91.1%	168		44.4	44.4				63.0	55.6	60.0				51.9	55.6	53.3	$8,993
Sunny Brae Middle	Public	6-8	1430 Buttermilk Ln.	Arcata	95521	Humboldt County	Arcata Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 822-5988	220	13	16.6	60.5%	135 (61.4%)	7 (3.2%)	45 (20.5%)	4 (1.8%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (9.5%)	45.3	1304^th of 2802 public middle schools	53.5%		44.8	1309^th of 2740 public middle schools	52.2%	5		29.3	29.3			30.0	53.5	38.9	41.4			31.7	27.9	18.4	25.5	$13,984

Fortuna Middle

Fortuna Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fortuna Elementary:

What do you think?

Rank History for Fortuna Middle

Rank History for all students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Female students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Male students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fortuna Middle

Rank History for White students at Fortuna Middle

Enrollment information for Fortuna Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fortuna Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Fortuna Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fortuna Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Fortuna Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Fortuna Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Fortuna Middle

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