Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Aptos Junior High

Q: Is Aptos Junior High a good school?

Aptos Junior High ranks 1181 st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

1181^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 57% of California middle schools

Summary

Aptos Junior High is a public middle school serving about 590 students in grades 7 and 8 in Aptos, California, operating within the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

While the district overall is low-ranked, Aptos Junior High is a standout performer within it, achieving test scores significantly above the district average and ranking in the middle tier statewide. The school serves a more economically mixed population than other middle schools in its district, such as Pajaro Middle or E. A. Hall Middle. However, the school faces a challenge with chronic student absenteeism, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to schools in neighboring districts, Aptos Junior High performs at a solid mid-level. It ranks below the highly affluent Scotts Valley Middle but comparably to New Brighton Middle. Parents should note that the school's statewide ranking has gradually declined over the past decade, and there are significant performance gaps, with some student groups, like English Language Learners, thriving while others need more support. The school's reported per-student spending is notably high compared to peers, which may represent a resource advantage.

587

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

51.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1001 Huntington Dr.
Aptos, CA 95003-4104

(831) 688-3234

District: Pajaro Valley Unified

Students who attend Aptos Junior High usually attend:

High:

Aptos High

Feeder schools for Aptos Junior High:

Elementary:	Bradley Elementary
	Calabasas Elementary
	Mar Vista Elementary
	Rio del Mar Elementary
	More...
	Valencia Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.3%

White:

43.3%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Aptos Junior High to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2013 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Pajaro Valley Unified

✓Above the California median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg21%

California avg41%

1,181^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 26% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Middle Schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified

1253^rd of 1,543Pajaro Valley 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	50.0	1181 of 2761	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.7	973 of 2783	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	894 of 2781	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.6	927 of 2740	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.1	648 of 2715	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	72.7	588 of 2480	76.3%	★★★★☆
2017	66.8	737 of 2508	70.6%	★★★★☆
2016	59.6	882 of 2497	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.4	636 of 2477	74.3%	★★★★☆
2013	67.2	679 of 2379	71.5%	★★★★☆
2012	68.7	607 of 2259	73.1%	★★★★☆
2011	66.8	641 of 2236	71.3%	★★★★☆
2010	67.5	615 of 2179	71.8%	★★★★☆
2009	61.5	709 of 2063	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	76.4	344 of 2005	82.8%	★★★★☆
2007	81.8	270 of 1999	86.5%	★★★★☆
2006	81.7	261 of 1804	85.5%	★★★★☆
2005	85.8	180 of 1777	89.9%	★★★★☆
2004	79.2	298 of 1769	83.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	66.8	314 of 1531	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	76.1	222 of 1491	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	85.5	119 of 1369	91.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	57.6	301 of 1478	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	35.5	951 of 1521	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	1144 of 1540	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.2	711 of 1442	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.9	495 of 1364	63.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	1087 of 2533	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	869 of 2551	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	752 of 2531	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.1	831 of 2509	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.4	576 of 2380	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	640 of 2262	71.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	1708 of 2395	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.4	1487 of 2388	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	1225 of 2374	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.6	1149 of 2359	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.2	1016 of 2213	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.8	817 of 2072	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.1	1846 of 2542	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	1383 of 2579	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.8	1598 of 2531	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	1619 of 2458	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	912 of 2369	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.2	932 of 2230	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.5	1154 of 2534	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	967 of 2552	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	958 of 2538	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.9	884 of 2527	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.6	635 of 2407	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	491 of 2273	78.4%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.8	51 of 94	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	499 of 726	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	523 of 677	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	61.4	262 of 665	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.3	1038 of 1566	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	935 of 1552	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	495 of 1531	67.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	736 of 1520	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	529 of 1537	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.4	397 of 1543	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.3	597 of 1555	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.2	391 of 1602	75.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	350 of 1496	76.6%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)80th percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2022)79th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)57th percentile~ school

Male (2025)54th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)52nd percentile-6 vs school

Migrant (2024)46th percentile-19 vs school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile-24 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)31st percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile-29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy43%-6 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science30%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Aptos Junior High and help other families decide.

Rate Aptos Junior High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Aptos Junior High

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
Aptos Junior High	Public	7-8	1001 Huntington Dr.	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 688-3234	587	27	22.0	51.1%	254 (43.3%)	3 (0.5%)	295 (50.3%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	50	1181^st of 2761 public middle schools	57.2%		56.7	973^rd of 2783 public middle schools	65.0%	208	30.2	30.2		49.6	36.6	43.3		37.8	33.2	35.6
New Brighton Middle	Public	6-8	250 Washburn Ave.	Capitola	95010	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5660	585	28	20.9	30.3%	329 (56.2%)	4 (0.7%)	198 (33.8%)	10 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (6.2%)	69.9	680^th of 2761 public middle schools	75.4%		64.7	792^nd of 2783 public middle schools	71.5%	112	42.6	42.6	56.4	64.8	53.1	57.9	43.5	47.6	35.1	41.8	$13,408	$799	$12,609
Shoreline Middle	Public	6-8	855 17th Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-6565	478	26	18.3	64.9%	160 (33.5%)	7 (1.5%)	286 (59.8%)	13 (2.7%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.0%)	60.7	888^th of 2761 public middle schools	67.8%		52.1	1102^nd of 2783 public middle schools	60.4%	214	53.1	53.1	46.3	46.1	58.2	50.0	38.5	29.9	39.9	36.1	$21,007	$1,598	$19,409
Rolling Hills Middle	Public	6-8	130 Herman Ave.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6341	588	28	21.1	94.6%	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	568 (96.6%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	10	2612^th of 2761 public middle schools	5.4%		10.1	2662^nd of 2783 public middle schools	4.3%	50	6.9	6.9	11.3	21.5	23.3	18.7	7.1	10.5	5.9	7.8
Branciforte Middle	Public	6-8	315 Poplar St.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3883	409	23	17.8	38.1%	175 (42.8%)	7 (1.7%)	192 (46.9%)	8 (2.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.9%)	68.8	698^th of 2761 public middle schools	74.7%		58.8	912^th of 2783 public middle schools	67.2%	214	41.0	41.0	65.9	61.4	51.7	60.0	35.5	40.8	43.0	39.7	$20,291	$3,354	$16,937
Cesar E. Chavez Middle	Public	6-8	440 Arthur Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 761-7699	548	27	20.3	91.1%	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	541 (98.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8.9	2649^th of 2761 public middle schools	4.1%		9.3	2688^th of 2783 public middle schools	3.4%	39	7.0	7.0	15.3	17.6	12.1	14.8	4.9	10.8	8.3	8.0
E. A. Hall Middle	Public	6-8	201 Brewington Ave.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6270	491	23	21.8	97.4%	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	478 (97.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.9	2719^th of 2761 public middle schools	1.5%		7.8	2719^th of 2783 public middle schools	2.3%		4.8	4.8	8.4	12.7	7.2	9.4	0.8	4.6	4.1	3.3
Lakeview Middle	Public	6-8	2350 East Lake Ave.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6455	425	19	22.3	92.5%	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	406 (95.5%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	8.3	2660^th of 2761 public middle schools	3.7%		9.9	2670^th of 2783 public middle schools	4.1%	10	8.8	8.8	11.2	18.1	14.1	14.5	3.2	9.2	5.4	5.9
Mission Hill Middle	Public	6-8	425 King St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3860	510	28	18.2	32.0%	268 (52.5%)	5 (1.0%)	166 (32.5%)	14 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	54 (10.6%)	76.9	543^rd of 2761 public middle schools	80.3%		67.4	731^st of 2783 public middle schools	73.7%	188	48.5	48.5	56.1	64.1	56.5	58.9	44.5	52.4	49.7	49.0	$16,074	$2,506	$13,568
Scotts Valley Middle	Public	6-8	8 Bean Creek Rd.	Scotts Valley	95066	Santa Cruz County	Scotts Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 438-0610	463	24	19.6	11.2%	303 (65.4%)	1 (0.2%)	85 (18.4%)	31 (6.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.4%)	85.7	356^th of 2761 public middle schools	87.1%		86.9	345^th of 2783 public middle schools	87.6%	11	56.7	56.7	71.7	66.4	70.3	69.5	44.1	53.9	59.6	52.6	$15,475	$858	$14,617

Frequently Asked Questions about Aptos Junior High

What is the racial makeup of Aptos Junior High?

Students at Aptos Junior High are 50% Hispanic, 43% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Aptos Junior High in?

Pajaro Valley Unified

What high school do graduates of Aptos Junior High attend?

Students who attend Aptos Junior High usually go on to attend Aptos High

How many students attend Aptos Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 587 students attended Aptos Junior High.

Is Aptos Junior High a good school?

Aptos Junior High ranks 1181^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Aptos Junior High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Middle School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Aptos, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Aptos Junior High!

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.