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John A. Sutter Middle

Public Grades 6-8
2401st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,740 California Middle Schools
Better than 12% of California middle schools
Summary

John A. Sutter Middle is a Canoga Park school serving 763 students in grades 6–8. The main concern for families is that student proficiency is low across all three tested subjects: in 2025–2026, 21% of students met the standard in English language arts (ELA), 18% in math, and 15% in science. The school’s results remain well below state and district levels, so the concern is not limited to one subject.

Compared with California, Sutter’s results were 28 percentage points lower in ELA, 21 points lower in math, and 21 points lower in science; compared with Los Angeles Unified, they were lower by 27, 22, and 17 points, respectively. Among eight nearby LAUSD schools with results for the same year, Sutter ranked lowest in ELA and second-lowest in math and science. Those schools averaged 50% in ELA, 39% in math, and 36% in science. Within Sutter, eighth-grade math is a relative bright spot: 24% met the standard, compared with 12% in grade 6 and 16% in grade 7, though the eighth-grade result was still below the state’s 36%.

Math and science have improved since 2022–2023, while ELA has slipped: math rose from 13% to 18% and science from 9% to 15%, while ELA fell from 22% to 21%. SchoolDigger rates Sutter at 1 star and the 12th percentile statewide in 2025–2026, ranking it 2,369th of 2,703 schools; the district is at the 54th percentile and has 3 stars. Sutter’s student-teacher ratio was 15.2 in 2024–2025, the lowest among nearby schools with reported ratios, and its reported free/reduced lunch eligible share was 92% that year, the third-highest among nearby schools with the same measure. Chronic absenteeism declined from 35% in 2021–2022 to 23% in 2025–2026, but remained above the state’s 18%. One notable SchoolDigger subgroup result is Special Education Students, at the 35th percentile in 2025–2026—above Sutter’s overall 12th percentile, suggesting relatively stronger results for this group.

763
Students ?
15.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$26,731
Per pupil spending ?
92.4%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in California receive free school meals.
 7330 Winnetka Ave.
       Canoga Park, CA  91306-2905

(818) 773-5800

District: Los Angeles Unified


Feeder schools for John A. Sutter Middle:

Elementary:    Fullbright Avenue Elementary
    Melvin Avenue Elementary
    Shirley Avenue Elementary
    Stanley Mosk Elementary
    More...
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.1%
Asian:
9.4%
White:
4.6%
more
 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare John A. Sutter Middle to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the California average (19% vs 42% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school19%
District avg42%
California avg42%
2,401st of 2,740
California public middle schools ?
Bottom 12%▼ down 9 pts since 2016
From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
81st of 85Middle Schools in the Los Angeles Unified
715th of 1,530Los 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202615.82401 of 274012.4%★☆☆☆☆
202522.62128 of 276122.9%★☆☆☆☆
202421.22213 of 278320.5%★☆☆☆☆
202316.72425 of 278112.8%★☆☆☆☆
202214.82461 of 274010.2%★☆☆☆☆
201913.32451 of 27159.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201814.82178 of 248012.2%★☆☆☆☆
201719.42056 of 250818.0%★☆☆☆☆
201621.61960 of 249721.5%★☆☆☆☆
201522.51920 of 247722.5%★☆☆☆☆
201339.21452 of 237939.0%★★☆☆☆
201225.71775 of 225921.4%★☆☆☆☆
201142.91285 of 223642.5%★★☆☆☆
201043.01228 of 217943.6%★★☆☆☆
200941.81163 of 206343.6%★★☆☆☆
200827.71496 of 200525.4%★☆☆☆☆
200732.61323 of 199933.8%★★☆☆☆
200636.11112 of 180438.4%★★☆☆☆
200529.31253 of 177729.5%★☆☆☆☆
200426.71277 of 176927.8%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
201948.4290 of 64354.9%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202614.2664 of 77714.5%★☆☆☆☆
202510.0658 of 73911.0%★☆☆☆☆
20246.7679 of 7438.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20237.7649 of 7159.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20228.6669 of 7338.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20192.9720 of 7453.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.1641 of 7008.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202225.41246 of 153118.6%★☆☆☆☆
201923.21291 of 149113.4%★☆☆☆☆
201823.11218 of 136911.0%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202429.21276 of 147813.7%★☆☆☆☆
202325.81450 of 15214.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202227.11378 of 154010.5%★☆☆☆☆
201925.91343 of 14426.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201823.11345 of 13641.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202614.42267 of 25169.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202523.81919 of 253324.2%★☆☆☆☆
202418.82144 of 255116.0%★☆☆☆☆
202315.22288 of 25319.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202213.42327 of 25097.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.52195 of 23807.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201813.22060 of 22628.9%☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202616.52083 of 235711.6%★☆☆☆☆
202526.01790 of 239525.3%★☆☆☆☆
202422.51912 of 238819.9%★☆☆☆☆
202318.42070 of 237412.8%★☆☆☆☆
202214.32203 of 23596.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201915.12022 of 22138.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.11863 of 207210.1%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202619.02164 of 252914.4%★☆☆☆☆
202528.91816 of 254228.6%★☆☆☆☆
202425.61963 of 257923.9%★☆☆☆☆
202320.52137 of 253115.6%★☆☆☆☆
202218.32166 of 245811.9%★☆☆☆☆
201917.02116 of 236910.7%★☆☆☆☆
201820.31895 of 223015.0%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202617.72138 of 251415.0%★☆☆☆☆
202521.22022 of 253420.2%★☆☆☆☆
202423.81927 of 255224.5%★☆☆☆☆
202318.92141 of 253815.6%★☆☆☆☆
202216.82223 of 252712.0%★☆☆☆☆
201913.92194 of 24078.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.71984 of 227312.7%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202632.71046 of 160534.8%★★☆☆☆
202530.11092 of 156630.3%★★☆☆☆
202432.01025 of 155234.0%★★☆☆☆
202324.21297 of 153115.3%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202625.91133 of 149024.0%★☆☆☆☆
202517.91277 of 152016.0%★☆☆☆☆
202423.91184 of 153723.0%★☆☆☆☆
20238.31456 of 15435.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20225.21510 of 15552.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20198.51502 of 16026.2%☆☆☆☆☆
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 (2019)55th percentile+45 vs school
Special Education (2026)35th percentile+22 vs school
White (2026)24th percentile+12 vs school
Disabled (2022)19th percentile+8 vs school
Male (2026)15th percentile+3 vs school
Asian (2026)15th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2024)14th percentile-7 vs school
Hispanic (2026)12th percentile~ school
Female (2026)10th percentile~ school
By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy21%-28 vs state
Mathematics18%-21 vs state
Science15%-21 vs state

1.6
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What people are saying
by a teacher
Thursday, August 17, 2023

Open Quote The problem with Sutter is the Administration. There is almost no organization. That is what happens when the District somehow makes a teacher that had No control in her class a Principal. She is as clueless of a Principal as she was a teacher. The teachers on campus are hit or miss. Principal does not hire quality teachers and assistant principals. She hires staff that she thinks that she can control. The students are the ones that are losing out. Nobody is safe on this campus. Find another school for your kids. The Principal has been there for quite a long time. Sutter will not improve until the district makes a change. Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Open Quote The school is hella lit Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, February 21, 2019

Open Quote The principal is probably the worst thing about the school. Jelly Welsh does nothing to reprimand the bullying she does nothing to communicate with the parents and she lets her teachers belittle the students as a matter of fact bullying is all over the school the fights are just dangerous to the point where they’re showing all over the news and the school does nothing to rectify the problem. Every year the school just goes downhill more and more. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Open Quote I have issues with the fact that a child can be attending Sutter Middle School for 6 weeks and apparently not be turning in class or homework and ends up failing 5 of 6 classes on the progress report and not one single call or note is sent home from the 2 teachers who have those classes to the parent to notify that there is an issue. Even when the parent has asked questions in the student's agenda book to notify if there are any issues or problems with said child. That makes me believe they don't have any concern with helping to assure that kids get a good education. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about John A. Sutter Middle

John A. Sutter Middle ranks in the bottom 12.4% of California middle schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 763 students attended John A. Sutter Middle.

Students at John A. Sutter Middle are 81% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 5% White, 3% African American, 1% Two or more races.

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Latest California data All new data »
2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026
2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026
2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026
2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026


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.

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