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Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet

Public Grades 6-8

681^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 75% of California middle schools

Summary

Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is a large, well-regarded public school serving about 1,550 students in grades 6-8 within the Los Angeles Unified district, consistently performing above both district and state averages in core subjects like English and math.

The school stands out for its strong and steady academic results, especially when compared to many nearby schools. For instance, it significantly outperforms Sal Castro Middle and Joseph Le Conte Middle in proficiency rates. A key strength is its effectiveness with students from all backgrounds, including those from low-income families and students experiencing homelessness, who achieve at high levels here. While Washington Irving Mid School Math Music and Engr Magnet posts slightly higher test scores, Thomas Starr King achieves its success while serving a more economically disadvantaged student population and spending less per student.

As a magnet school with a focus on film and media arts, it offers a specialized program that appears to successfully engage its students. The school has shown remarkable stability, maintaining a high performance level for nearly a decade, which suggests a reliable and resilient learning environment. It's important to note that while chronic absenteeism is an area to watch, the school's academic outcomes remain strong. One area for potential growth is support for English Language Learners, which is a focus compared to the school's otherwise broad success across student groups.

1,547

Students ?

19.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,529

Per pupil spending ?

74.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4201 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029-2223

(323) 644-6700

District: Los Angeles Unified

Students who attend Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet usually attend:

High:

John Marshall Senior High

Feeder schools for Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet:

Elementary:	Clifford Street Elementary Math & Technology Magnet
	Dayton Heights Elementary
	Elysian Heights Elementary School Arts Magnet
	Franklin Avenue Elementary
	More...
	Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary
	Ivanhoe Elementary
	Lexington Avenue Primary Center
	Lockwood Avenue Elementary
	Los Feliz Science/Technical/Engineer/Math/Medicine Magnet
	Mayberry Street Elementary
	Micheltorena Street Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.4%

White:

17.6%

Asian:

14.4%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2013 → 75th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (49% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 25% of California middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg39%

California avg41%

681^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 83Middle Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

791^st of 1,543Los Angeles 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	69.9	681 of 2761	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	591 of 2783	78.8%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	615 of 2781	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.5	693 of 2740	74.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.0	632 of 2715	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	585 of 2480	76.4%	★★★★☆
2017	73.3	591 of 2508	76.4%	★★★★☆
2016	74.6	557 of 2497	77.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	522 of 2477	78.9%	★★★★☆
2013	60.4	885 of 2379	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.4	1064 of 2259	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.9	1153 of 2236	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.6	1371 of 2179	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.0	1528 of 2063	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	31.0	1399 of 2005	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	24.3	1551 of 1999	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.7	1328 of 1804	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	26.5	1300 of 1777	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	24.4	1332 of 1769	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.8	103 of 609	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	104 of 627	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	59.6	205 of 613	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.4	150 of 637	76.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.1	118 of 643	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	79.8	87 of 600	85.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.8	283 of 739	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	265 of 743	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	364 of 715	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.8	434 of 733	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.9	300 of 745	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.1	362 of 700	48.3%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	56.0	457 of 1531	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	53.8	492 of 1491	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	349 of 1369	74.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	32.7	1091 of 1478	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.3	830 of 1521	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.5	1312 of 1540	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.7	803 of 1442	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.4	1184 of 1364	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.6	661 of 2533	73.9%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	641 of 2551	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	68.0	667 of 2531	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	67.8	649 of 2509	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.1	596 of 2380	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	554 of 2262	75.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.6	693 of 2395	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	542 of 2388	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	609 of 2374	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.4	740 of 2359	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	617 of 2213	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.1	600 of 2072	71.0%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	88 of 477	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	57.6	118 of 394	70.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.4	526 of 2542	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	450 of 2579	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	403 of 2531	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	507 of 2458	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	345 of 2369	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	330 of 2230	85.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	654 of 2534	74.2%	★★★★☆
2024	77.5	482 of 2552	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	520 of 2538	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.2	636 of 2527	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	565 of 2407	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	564 of 2273	75.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	61.1	289 of 726	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.9	199 of 701	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	143 of 677	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	74.9	152 of 665	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	75.6	126 of 554	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	77.2	93 of 462	79.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.8	419 of 1566	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	74.4	236 of 1552	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	202 of 1531	86.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.9	308 of 1520	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	83.3	176 of 1537	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	237 of 1543	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	238 of 1555	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	83.8	187 of 1602	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	83.2	187 of 1496	87.5%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2025)83rd percentile+8 vs school

Homeless (2025)82nd percentile+6 vs school

White (2025)80th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)79th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile~ school

Female (2025)74th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2022)70th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2025)62nd percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)60th percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)26th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy54%+5 vs state

Mathematics46%+9 vs state

Science42%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet

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 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 All Grades	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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet	Public	6-8	4201 Fountain Ave.	Los Angeles	90029	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 644-6700	1,547	81	19.2	74.5%	273 (17.6%)	41 (2.7%)	934 (60.4%)	223 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (4.9%)	69.9	681^st of 2761 public middle schools	75.3%		75	591^st of 2783 public middle schools	78.8%	90		41.7	41.7		54.7	51.0	56.7	54.2		43.2	48.4	45.7	45.9	$19,529	$3,591	$15,938
Vista Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	2900 West Temple St.	Los Angeles	90026	Los Angeles County	Vista Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-4000	364	15	23.8	88.5%	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	341 (93.7%)	10 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	24.8	2019^th of 2761 public middle schools	26.9%		24.1	2082^nd of 2783 public middle schools	25.2%	63		12.0	12.0		29.3	40.7	32.6	34.7		22.2	22.4	11.4	18.4	$23,661	$6,356	$17,305
Virgil Middle	Public	6-8	152 North Vermont Ave.	Los Angeles	90004	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 368-2800	975	59	16.5	96.0%	20 (2.1%)	24 (2.5%)	778 (79.8%)	134 (13.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.7%)	51	1158^th of 2761 public middle schools	58.1%		50.5	1156^th of 2783 public middle schools	58.5%	2		19.4	19.4		43.1	43.1	43.9	43.4		48.7	45.1	30.9	41.5	$22,028	$4,062	$17,966
Joseph Le Conte Middle	Public	6-8	1316 North Bronson Ave.	Hollywood	90028	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 308-1700	627	39	16.0	94.7%	25 (4.0%)	30 (4.8%)	541 (86.3%)	26 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	21.8	2158^th of 2761 public middle schools	21.8%		20.6	2237^th of 2783 public middle schools	19.6%	79		21.6	21.6		27.6	27.1	30.5	28.5		14.8	15.6	17.1	16.1	$23,886	$4,357	$19,529
California Creative Learning Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	2709 Media Center Dr.	Los Angeles	90065	Los Angeles County	California Creative Learning Academy Middle School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 539-2810	98	4	23.9	60.2%	27 (27.6%)	5 (5.1%)	55 (56.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.1%)	31.7	1768^th of 2761 public middle schools	36.0%		27.3	1935^th of 2783 public middle schools	30.5%	167		19.1	19.1		47.8	35.7	38.1	42.1		23.9	14.3	4.8	16.8	$21,327	$2,330	$18,997
Rise Kohyang Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	600 South Lafayette Park Pl.	Los Angeles	90057	Los Angeles County	Rise Kohyang Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(424) 789-8338	280	12	23.3	93.6%	4 (1.4%)	14 (5.0%)	223 (79.6%)	38 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	54.8	1040^th of 2761 public middle schools	62.3%		43	1372^nd of 2783 public middle schools	50.7%	332		37.0	37.0		44.8	48.5	53.8	49.4		33.3	34.3	30.8	32.6	$24,308	$3,118	$21,190
Young Oak Kim Academy	Public	6-8	615 South Shatto Pl.	Los Angeles	90005	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 739-6500	715	36	19.9	98.6%	14 (2.0%)	8 (1.1%)	678 (94.8%)	11 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	34.5	1660^th of 2761 public middle schools	39.9%		30.2	1803^rd of 2783 public middle schools	35.2%	143		23.3	23.3		29.4	43.2	42.7	38.8		19.1	27.8	23.7	23.8	$19,239	$4,181	$15,058
Equitas Academy 4	Public, Charter	5-8	2501 West 7th St.	Los Angeles	90057	Los Angeles County	Equitas Academy 4 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-5934	456	19	24.2	93.2%	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	450 (98.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	31	1798^th of 2761 public middle schools	34.9%		41.6	1409^th of 2783 public middle schools	49.4%	389	30.1	24.8	27.1	36.6	40.7	35.3	33.6	36.5	25.8	20.5	29.1	13.1	21.6	$19,878	$892	$18,986
Sal Castro Middle	Public	6-8	1575 West 2nd St.	Los Angeles	90026	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 241-4416	276	19	14.2	97.8%	6 (2.2%)	13 (4.7%)	249 (90.2%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	31.5	1779^th of 2761 public middle schools	35.6%		15.7	2450^th of 2783 public middle schools	12.0%	671		30.6	30.6		36.3	29.3	36.8	34.2		29.1	13.1	19.4	20.5	$23,384	$3,608	$19,776
Equitas Academy #2	Public, Charter	5-8	2723 West 8th St.	Los Angeles	90005	Los Angeles County	Equitas Academy #2 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(213) 201-5940	437	19	23.1	93.6%	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	428 (97.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38.5	1533^rd of 2761 public middle schools	44.5%		30.1	1809^th of 2783 public middle schools	35.0%	276	22.9	24.1	23.4	42.9	32.0	39.8	50.6	40.4	29.5	24.6	30.4	29.6	28.3	$20,290	$2,433	$17,857

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet

What district is Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet in?

Los Angeles Unified

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?

Students at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet are 60% Hispanic, 18% White, 14% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

How many students attend Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,547 students attended Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet.

Is Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet a good school?

Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet ranks 681^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet attend?

Students who attend Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet usually go on to attend John Marshall Senior High

Rate Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet!

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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.