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Mesa Middle

Q: Is Mesa Middle a good school?

Mesa Middle ranks 1341 st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

1341^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 51% of California middle schools

Summary

Mesa Middle is a public school for grades 7 and 8 in Arroyo Grande, CA, serving 474 students within the Lucia Mar Unified school district, and it currently earns an average state ranking while serving a community with significant economic need.

Academically, the school shows a mixed picture; about 47% of students are proficient in English, close to the state average, but only 26% are proficient in math, which is a notable challenge and below both district and state averages. Compared to its sister schools in the same district, Paulding Middle and Judkins Middle, Mesa has lower test scores, particularly in math, despite receiving more funding per student. However, the school has made strong, recent progress in a key area: chronic absenteeism has been cut nearly in half since the 2022-2023 school year and is now better than the state average.

When looking at the wider region, Mesa Middle performs better than many schools in neighboring districts like Santa Maria-Bonita, but it does not reach the high performance levels seen in more affluent districts such as San Luis Coastal Unified, where Laguna Middle is ranked. The school's improvement in attendance and its rising star rating indicate positive momentum, suggesting a focus on foundational supports that could help address its core academic challenges.

474

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,195

Per pupil spending ?

73.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2555 Halcyon Rd.
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420-6539

(805) 474-3400

District: Lucia Mar Unified

Students who attend Mesa Middle usually attend:

High:	Central Coast New Technical High
	Nipomo High

Feeder schools for Mesa Middle:

Elementary:	Dana Elementary
	Lange (Dorothea) Elementary
	Nipomo Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.6%

White:

27.6%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated California middle schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 42nd percentile in 2023 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 51st (2025) from a 42nd-percentile low (2023)

✓Above the California median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (35% vs 41% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 12 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg45%

California avg41%

1,341^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Lucia Mar Unified

582^nd of 1,543Lucia Mar 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	44.6	1341 of 2761	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.8	1399 of 2783	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	1620 of 2781	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.2	1516 of 2740	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.6	1335 of 2715	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.8	1200 of 2480	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	1165 of 2508	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.9	1222 of 2497	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	42.0	1284 of 2477	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.7	977 of 2379	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.0	921 of 2259	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.5	892 of 2236	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.9	686 of 2179	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.9	600 of 2063	70.9%	★★★★☆
2008	66.9	542 of 2005	73.0%	★★★★☆
2007	68.5	516 of 1999	74.2%	★★★★☆
2006	72.4	425 of 1804	76.4%	★★★★☆
2005	61.5	579 of 1777	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	62.9	551 of 1769	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	31.9	994 of 1531	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.4	851 of 1491	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.4	360 of 1369	73.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	41.4	680 of 1478	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.9	849 of 1521	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.2	472 of 1540	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.1	1009 of 1442	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.4	1078 of 1364	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	1153 of 2533	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	1236 of 2551	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.8	1586 of 2531	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	1566 of 2509	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	1176 of 2380	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.4	1108 of 2262	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.6	1225 of 2395	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	1216 of 2388	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.4	1348 of 2374	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.7	1443 of 2359	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.8	1376 of 2213	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.2	1257 of 2072	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.3	140 of 477	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	93 of 394	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	54.3	116 of 320	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.1	138 of 336	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	1348 of 2542	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	1343 of 2579	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	1451 of 2531	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	1299 of 2458	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.4	1288 of 2369	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.7	1089 of 2230	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	1394 of 2534	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	1394 of 2552	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	1409 of 2538	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	1235 of 2527	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.5	1297 of 2407	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.4	1159 of 2273	49.0%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	12.0	631 of 701	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	1055 of 1566	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.7	757 of 1552	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.0	1049 of 1531	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	800 of 1520	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	908 of 1537	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.6	1176 of 1543	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.8	1021 of 1555	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	836 of 1602	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.2	693 of 1496	53.7%	★★★☆☆

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)71st percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)54th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)54th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)49th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)47th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)45th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)35th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)10th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy47%~ state avg

Science29%-3 vs state

Mathematics26%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mesa Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)					CSA Spanish Listening (2025)					CSA Spanish Writing (2025)					CSA Spanish Reading (2025)					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	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 8th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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
Mesa Middle	Public	7-8	2555 Halcyon Rd.	Arroyo Grande	93420	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3400	474	25	18.9	73.8%	131 (27.6%)	3 (0.6%)	311 (65.6%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.0%)	44.6	1341^st of 2761 public middle schools	51.4%		41.8	1399^th of 2783 public middle schools	49.7%	58																						29.3	29.3			44.4	49.0	46.7			29.0	22.6	25.7	$18,195	$1,529	$16,666
Paulding Middle	Public	7-8	600 Crown Hill St.	Arroyo Grande	93420	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3500	544	27	19.9	45.8%	270 (49.6%)	4 (0.7%)	211 (38.8%)	14 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.7%)	74.6	590^th of 2761 public middle schools	78.6%		72.7	639^th of 2783 public middle schools	77.0%	49																						40.3	40.3			73.0	56.7	64.8			49.2	38.5	43.8	$16,155	$1,469	$14,686
Judkins Middle	Public	7-8	680 Wadsworth St.	Pismo Beach	93449	San Luis Obispo County	Lucia Mar Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 474-3600	431	25	17.5	60.3%	154 (35.7%)	0 (0.0%)	235 (54.5%)	10 (2.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)	60.9	885^th of 2761 public middle schools	67.9%		61.8	842^nd of 2783 public middle schools	69.7%	43																						28.5	28.5			61.5	54.2	57.9			41.3	31.2	36.3	$17,070	$1,506	$15,564
Kermit McKenzie Intermediate	Public	4-8	4710 West Main St.	Guadalupe	93434	Santa Barbara County	Guadalupe Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 343-1951	585	32	18.2	87.9%	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	571 (97.6%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18.2	2307^th of 2761 public middle schools	16.4%		20.6	2238^th of 2783 public middle schools	19.6%	69	5.0	23.8	20.0	16.7	14.1	40.0	19.1	20.0	38.9	31.3	5.0	23.8	30.0	11.1	15.2	7.5	19.1	20.0	16.7	14.1	18.6	13.9	16.3	20.0	24.3	27.7	34.8	26.7	9.7	10.9	14.4	14.0	12.3	$17,662	$2,284	$15,378
Kunst (Tommie) Junior High	Public	7-8	930 Hidden Pines Way	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-5800	912	50	18.0	87.5%	23 (2.5%)	2 (0.2%)	852 (93.4%)	24 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (0.9%)	24.8	2017^th of 2761 public middle schools	26.9%		27.7	1914^th of 2783 public middle schools	31.2%	103																						17.5	17.5			31.4	34.4	32.9			18.3	18.9	18.6	$21,183	$2,682	$18,501
El Camino Junior High	Public	7-8	219 West El Camino	Santa Maria	93458	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-7800	830	45	18.2	97.0%	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	820 (98.8%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.7	2489^th of 2761 public middle schools	9.9%		15.1	2475^th of 2783 public middle schools	11.1%	14																						9.4	9.4			24.1	22.0	23.1			13.9	10.1	12.0	$21,698	$2,635	$19,063
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High	Public	7-8	1100 East Fesler St.	Santa Maria	93454	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-7880	974	49	20.0	94.5%	6 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	954 (97.9%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	13.2	2510^th of 2761 public middle schools	9.1%		13.6	2531^st of 2783 public middle schools	9.1%	21																						14.0	14.0			22.3	18.2	20.3			11.8	9.3	10.5	$20,610	$2,313	$18,297
Arellanes Junior High	Public	7-8	1890 Sandalwood Dr.	Santa Maria	93455	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria-Bonita	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 361-6820	668	37	18.1	93.1%	17 (2.5%)	4 (0.6%)	631 (94.5%)	14 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.4	2297^th of 2761 public middle schools	16.8%		16.5	2419^th of 2783 public middle schools	13.1%	122																						13.4	13.4			32.3	24.9	28.8			14.4	13.5	14.0	$21,144	$2,495	$18,649
Laguna Middle	Public	7-8	11050 Los Osos Valley Rd.	San Luis Obispo	93405	San Luis Obispo County	San Luis Coastal Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 596-4055	780	39	19.8	43.3%	427 (54.7%)	11 (1.4%)	234 (30.0%)	45 (5.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (7.3%)	90.6	261^st of 2761 public middle schools	90.5%		91	256^th of 2783 public middle schools	90.8%	5																						61.0	61.0			68.7	72.0	70.5			57.5	60.1	58.9	$15,576	$1,008	$14,568
Lakeview Junior High	Public	7-8	3700 Orcutt Rd.	Santa Maria	93455	Santa Barbara County	Orcutt Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 938-8600	463	20	23.5	72.4%	98 (21.2%)	3 (0.6%)	322 (69.5%)	13 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.2%)	51.9	1136^th of 2761 public middle schools	58.9%		48.2	1210^th of 2783 public middle schools	56.5%	74																						33.2	33.2			50.0	45.8	48.0			30.9	32.9	31.9	$9,860	$749	$9,111

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Middle

How many students attend Mesa Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 474 students attended Mesa Middle.

What high school do graduates of Mesa Middle attend?

Students who attend Mesa Middle usually go on to attend Central Coast New Technical High

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Middle?

Students at Mesa Middle are 66% Hispanic, 28% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Mesa Middle in?

Lucia Mar Unified

Is Mesa Middle a good school?

Mesa Middle ranks 1341^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Mesa Middle!

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Schools in Arroyo Grande, CA

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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.