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Marco Forster Middle

Q: Is Marco Forster Middle a good school?

Marco Forster Middle ranks 971 st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

971^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 65% of California middle schools

Summary

Marco Forster Middle is a public school serving about 930 students in grades 6-8 in San Juan Capistrano, part of the Capistrano Unified School District, and currently ranks in the middle tier of California middle schools.

The school serves a student population with significant economic needs, with about 75% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch—a rate much higher than nearby schools like Carl Hankey Middle (50%) or Ladera Ranch Middle (19%). While its test scores are close to the state average, they are below the district average, and the school faces a challenge with chronic absenteeism at 16.8%. Interestingly, despite having high per-student spending compared to many district peers, academic outcomes are lower, suggesting factors beyond funding are at play.

There are notable strengths, however, including effective support for students in special education and in science, where performance exceeds the state average. The school's ranking has declined over the past decade but has stabilized in recent years. Compared to other schools in Capistrano Unified, such as Bernice Ayer Middle, Marco Forster's situation highlights the complex relationship between student needs, resources, and academic achievement within a diverse district.

930

Students ?

20.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,607

Per pupil spending ?

75.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

25601 Camino del Avion
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-4330

(949) 234-5907

District: Capistrano Unified

Students who attend Marco Forster Middle usually attend:

High:

San Juan Hills High

Feeder schools for Marco Forster Middle:

Elementary:	Del Obispo Elementary
	Harold Ambuehl Elementary
	Kinoshita Elementary
	Richard Henry Dana Elementary
	More...
	San Juan Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.0%

White:

23.2%

Two or more races:

5.3%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Marco Forster Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 54th percentile in 2022 → 65th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 65th (2025) from a 54th-percentile low (2022)

✓Above the California median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Capistrano Unified's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg65%

California avg41%

971^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 13Middle Schools in the Capistrano Unified

193^rd of 1,543Capistrano 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	57.3	971 of 2761	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	902 of 2783	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	1046 of 2781	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	1256 of 2740	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	813 of 2715	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	661 of 2480	73.3%	★★★★☆
2017	67.9	715 of 2508	71.5%	★★★★☆
2016	65.2	750 of 2497	70.0%	★★★★☆
2015	67.7	692 of 2477	72.1%	★★★★☆
2013	72.7	520 of 2379	78.1%	★★★★☆
2012	71.2	546 of 2259	75.8%	★★★★☆
2011	68.6	595 of 2236	73.4%	★★★★☆
2010	69.9	551 of 2179	74.7%	★★★★☆
2009	64.0	660 of 2063	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.9	661 of 2005	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.5	611 of 1999	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.4	572 of 1804	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	46.9	854 of 1777	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	54.5	694 of 1769	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	51.8	532 of 1531	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	299 of 1491	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	57.0	389 of 1369	71.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	45.0	567 of 1478	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.1	810 of 1521	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.7	908 of 1540	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.9	759 of 1442	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.2	430 of 1364	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	820 of 2533	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	853 of 2551	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	959 of 2531	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.5	1157 of 2509	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	796 of 2380	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.3	658 of 2262	70.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	990 of 2395	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.4	960 of 2388	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.0	1008 of 2374	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	1118 of 2359	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	775 of 2213	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	576 of 2072	72.2%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	86 of 477	82.0%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	91 of 394	76.9%	★★★★☆
2023	58.6	99 of 320	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.7	121 of 336	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.1	914 of 2542	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	1024 of 2579	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	990 of 2531	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.8	1339 of 2458	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.5	864 of 2369	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	673 of 2230	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	1048 of 2534	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.1	860 of 2552	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.2	974 of 2538	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	1143 of 2527	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	721 of 2407	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	579 of 2273	74.5%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.7	127 of 194	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	119 of 192	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.4	163 of 197	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.0	144 of 193	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.8	335 of 726	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.4	276 of 701	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	294 of 677	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.8	322 of 665	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	86.5	39 of 554	93.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.0	459 of 1566	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	62.2	380 of 1552	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	62.4	371 of 1531	75.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.6	313 of 1520	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	80.6	227 of 1537	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	439 of 1543	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	51.9	735 of 1555	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.2	274 of 1602	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	80.8	245 of 1496	83.6%	★★★★☆

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)82nd percentile+17 vs school

White (2025)79th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2025)71st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)68th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)65th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)62nd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)59th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)54th percentile-11 vs school

Military Connected (2025)35th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy49%~ state avg

Mathematics37%~ state avg

Science36%+4 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, September 24, 2016

My kids went to Marco and spent three crucial years doing nothing. They were in acc classes and still did pretty much nothing. Looking back, I would never send them to Marco again. They did not learn crucial skills they need in high school. Marco did not prepare them at all. (They were straight A students at Marco, of course) I would definitely not recommend this school if your child's academics are your priority. They will not only not gain any skills, they will also loose any skills they had prior to going to Marco. Hope this helps. Close Quote

Schools Near Marco Forster 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
Marco Forster Middle	Public	6-8	25601 Camino del Avion	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5907	930	46	20.4	75.1%	216 (23.2%)	0 (0.0%)	651 (70.0%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	49 (5.3%)	57.3	971^st of 2761 public middle schools	64.8%		59.3	902^nd of 2783 public middle schools	67.6%	69	36.3	36.3	44.4	48.7	53.2	48.8	32.0	36.6	43.2	37.3	$20,607	$2,219	$18,388
Bernice Ayer Middle	Public	6-8	1271 Sarmentoso	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 366-9607	919	41	22.4	39.4%	541 (58.9%)	0 (0.0%)	277 (30.1%)	16 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (9.1%)	93.5	194^th of 2761 public middle schools	93.0%		91.2	251^st of 2783 public middle schools	91.0%	57	57.0	57.0	73.3	75.1	73.1	73.8	65.9	67.0	74.2	69.0	$18,656	$1,297	$17,359
Niguel Hills Middle	Public	6-8	29070 Shark Bay	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5360	693	35	19.5	44.6%	384 (55.4%)	8 (1.2%)	212 (30.6%)	36 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.6%)	87.6	318^th of 2761 public middle schools	88.5%		92.4	219^th of 2783 public middle schools	92.1%	99	50.3	50.3	72.3	65.5	71.8	69.6	61.3	52.2	61.1	57.9	$20,684	$1,423	$19,261
Shorecliffs Middle	Public	6-8	240 Via Socorro	San Clemente	92672	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 498-1660	634	32	19.8	43.8%	370 (58.4%)	3 (0.5%)	189 (29.8%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (9.8%)	77.8	525^th of 2761 public middle schools	81.0%		71	668^th of 2783 public middle schools	76.0%	143	52.9	52.9	60.2	65.0	63.8	63.1	42.0	46.7	45.8	44.9	$21,547	$1,312	$20,235
Vista del Mar Middle	Public	6-8	1130 Avenue Talega	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5955	499	22	22.2	16.2%	368 (73.7%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (11.8%)	20 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (10.2%)	95	154^th of 2761 public middle schools	94.4%		96.1	126^th of 2783 public middle schools	95.5%	28	61.7	61.7	85.3	80.0	76.5	80.5	75.0	60.0	66.4	66.9	$20,214	$1,334	$18,880
Ladera Ranch Middle	Public	6-8	29551 Sienna Pkwy.	Ladera Ranch	92694	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5922	1,064	46	23.0	19.0%	680 (63.9%)	10 (0.9%)	121 (11.4%)	134 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	115 (10.8%)	97.3	69^th of 2761 public middle schools	97.5%		98.1	42^nd of 2783 public middle schools	98.5%	27	65.2	65.2	84.1	80.6	82.2	82.3	75.2	74.9	79.2	76.5	$19,090	$1,273	$17,817
Esencia Middle	Public	6-8	5 Aprender St.	Rancho Mission Viejo	92694	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-9900	349	16	21.6	22.3%	192 (55.0%)	5 (1.4%)	56 (16.0%)	56 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	37 (10.6%)	94.4	174^th of 2761 public middle schools	93.7%		96.9	94^th of 2783 public middle schools	96.6%	80	47.6	47.6	78.1	82.6	76.5	79.2	70.8	81.2	68.0	73.5	$22,183	$1,409	$20,774
Carl Hankey Middle	Public	6-8	27252 Nubles	Mission Viejo	92692	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5315	181	12	15.6	49.7%	69 (38.1%)	3 (1.7%)	75 (41.4%)	18 (9.9%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.7%)	86.9	338^th of 2761 public middle schools	87.8%		79.1	499^th of 2783 public middle schools	82.1%	161	51.7	51.7	69.1	73.7	65.5	69.4	73.2	44.8	57.9	58.5	$24,837	$1,745	$23,092
Thurston Middle	Public	6-8	2100 Park Ave.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7785	524	31	16.6	17.7%	369 (70.4%)	6 (1.1%)	65 (12.4%)	29 (5.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.9%)	96	115^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.8%		94.2	177^th of 2783 public middle schools	93.6%	62	70.2	70.2	74.0	77.2	78.8	76.7	72.0	74.9	77.1	74.7	$34,384	$1,134	$33,250
Aliso Viejo Middle	Public	6-8	111 Park Ave.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 831-2622	803	36	22.3	35.4%	433 (53.9%)	16 (2.0%)	154 (19.2%)	109 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	87 (10.8%)	91.6	233^rd of 2761 public middle schools	91.6%		93.1	208^th of 2783 public middle schools	92.5%	25	55.2	55.2	70.5	70.7	72.9	71.4	62.7	65.2	66.8	65.0	$19,508	$1,401	$18,107

Frequently Asked Questions about Marco Forster Middle

What high school do graduates of Marco Forster Middle attend?

Students who attend Marco Forster Middle usually go on to attend San Juan Hills High

What district is Marco Forster Middle in?

Capistrano Unified

Is Marco Forster Middle a good school?

Marco Forster Middle ranks 971^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Marco Forster Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 930 students attended Marco Forster Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Marco Forster Middle?

Students at Marco Forster Middle are 70% Hispanic, 23% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.