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Valadez Middle School Academy

Q: Is Valadez Middle School Academy a good school?

Valadez Middle School Academy ranks 1873 rd of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1873^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 32% of California middle schools

Summary

Valadez Middle School Academy is a public middle school serving 527 students in grades 6-8 within the generally high-performing Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified district in Placentia, CA.

The school serves a student population with very high economic need, and its academic performance, while showing recent signs of improvement, is significantly lower than other middle schools in its own district. For example, only 40% of Valadez students are proficient in English, compared to over 74% at nearby Col. J. K. Tuffree Middle and over 76% at Yorba Linda Middle. The gap is even wider in math. The school also has a higher rate of chronic student absences than its district peers.

Despite these challenges, Valadez receives more funding per student than other schools in the district and shows notable strengths in supporting specific student groups, such as those experiencing homelessness or in special education. When compared to other schools with similar student demographics in different districts, like Ball Junior High or Sycamore Junior High in the Anaheim Union High district, Valadez often performs better, indicating it is effectively addressing some complex needs within its community.

527

Students ?

19.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,636

Per pupil spending ?

95.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

161 East La Jolla St.
Placentia, CA 92870-7112

(714) 986-7440

District: Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Students who attend Valadez Middle School Academy usually attend:

High:

Valencia High

Feeder schools for Valadez Middle School Academy:

Elementary:	Melrose Elementary
	Rio Vista Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.1%

White:

2.5%

Asian:

2.1%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Valadez Middle School Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 23rd percentile in 2024 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 32nd (2025) from a 23rd-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (27% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the California average

!Near the bottom of Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg59%

California avg41%

1,873^rd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 26 pts since 2015

From top 42% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle Schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

271^st of 1,543Placentia-Yorba Linda 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	28.7	1873 of 2761	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.0	2130 of 2783	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	1798 of 2781	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.8	2096 of 2740	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	1697 of 2715	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	1468 of 2480	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.9	1374 of 2508	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.9	1162 of 2497	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.0	1033 of 2477	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	41.1	1394 of 2379	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	27.6	1718 of 2259	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.6	1422 of 2236	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.0	1442 of 2179	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	32.9	961 of 1531	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.2	1054 of 1491	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	952 of 1369	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	33.2	1060 of 1478	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.3	756 of 1521	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.2	1063 of 1540	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.8	692 of 1442	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.2	571 of 1364	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	1528 of 2533	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.2	1968 of 2551	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	1650 of 2531	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.7	2048 of 2509	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	1773 of 2380	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.2	1502 of 2262	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.1	1469 of 2395	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	1686 of 2388	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.4	1392 of 2374	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.4	1690 of 2359	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.6	1170 of 2213	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.3	957 of 2072	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	111 of 477	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	49.7	154 of 394	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	134 of 336	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.3	1505 of 2542	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.6	1795 of 2579	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.8	1379 of 2531	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	1678 of 2458	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.0	1184 of 2369	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.8	1002 of 2230	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	21.5	2011 of 2534	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	1993 of 2552	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.0	1653 of 2538	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.9	1811 of 2527	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.7	1350 of 2407	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.0	1251 of 2273	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.6	151 of 194	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	166 of 192	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.9	176 of 197	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.8	619 of 1566	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.7	1072 of 1552	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	1066 of 1531	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)77th percentile+45 vs school

Special Education (2025)60th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)40th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)39th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2022)37th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)28th percentile+5 vs school

Military Connected (2025)22nd percentile-10 vs school

Male (2025)21st percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy40%-9 vs state

Mathematics17%-20 vs state

Science15%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Valadez Middle School Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)
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
Valadez Middle School Academy	Public	6-8	161 East La Jolla St.	Placentia	92870	Orange County	Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 986-7440	527	27	19.8	95.8%	13 (2.5%)	4 (0.8%)	496 (94.1%)	11 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	28.7	1873^rd of 2761 public middle schools	32.2%		23	2130^th of 2783 public middle schools	23.5%	257	15.1	15.1	39.4	37.5	43.2	40.1	17.8	18.6	15.9	17.4	$20,636	$19,188	$1,448
Kraemer Middle	Public	7-8	645 North Angelina Dr.	Placentia	92870	Orange County	Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 996-1551	889	36	24.5	52.9%	112 (12.6%)	14 (1.6%)	411 (46.2%)	315 (35.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	36 (4.0%)	87.8	316^th of 2761 public middle schools	88.6%		91.1	252^nd of 2783 public middle schools	90.9%	64	53.8	53.8		70.6	62.9	66.9		62.9	54.9	59.1	$16,346	$14,984	$1,362
Sycamore Junior High	Public	7-8	1801 East Sycamore St.	Anaheim	92805	Orange County	Anaheim Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 999-3616	1,137	52	21.8	94.7%	23 (2.0%)	9 (0.8%)	1,053 (92.6%)	22 (1.9%)	23 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	9.4	2633^rd of 2761 public middle schools	4.6%		11.3	2616^th of 2783 public middle schools	6.0%	17	6.9	6.9		22.1	12.8	17.1		10.9	3.8	7.1	$26,624	$25,292	$1,332
Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts	Public	7-8	1700 East Wilshire Dr.	Fullerton	92831	Orange County	Fullerton Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 447-7765	820	37	22.0	62.6%	160 (19.5%)	21 (2.6%)	525 (64.0%)	67 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	44 (5.4%)	53.8	1083^rd of 2761 public middle schools	60.8%		63.8	805^th of 2783 public middle schools	71.1%	278	24.3	24.3		57.5	45.4	51.0		40.7	32.3	36.2	$14,938	$14,634	$304
South Junior High	Public	7-8	2320 East South St.	Anaheim	92806	Orange County	Anaheim Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 999-3667	1,159	49	23.5	92.1%	31 (2.7%)	9 (0.8%)	1,045 (90.2%)	43 (3.7%)	15 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	14 (1.2%)	14.6	2461^st of 2761 public middle schools	10.9%		12.6	2563^rd of 2783 public middle schools	7.9%	102	12.2	12.2		24.1	27.0	25.6		10.5	8.9	9.7	$25,436	$24,178	$1,258
Col. J. K. Tuffree Middle	Public	7-8	2151 North Kraemer Blvd.	Placentia	92870	Orange County	Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 986-7480	566	24	23.2	46.6%	159 (28.1%)	6 (1.1%)	282 (49.8%)	94 (16.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (3.7%)	90.3	272^nd of 2761 public middle schools	90.1%		86.9	348^th of 2783 public middle schools	87.5%	76	56.1	56.1		77.2	71.9	74.4		56.0	56.3	56.2	$19,639	$18,834	$805
Yorba Linda Middle	Public	6-8	4777 Casa Loma Ave.	Yorba Linda	92886	Orange County	Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 986-7080	818	37	22.3	34.1%	305 (37.3%)	9 (1.1%)	232 (28.4%)	225 (27.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (5.6%)	94.4	171^st of 2761 public middle schools	93.8%		93.1	207^th of 2783 public middle schools	92.6%	36	63.1	63.1	73.7	77.5	78.5	76.7	69.4	66.4	63.2	66.2	$18,322	$17,388	$934
Cerro Villa Middle	Public	7-8	17852 East Serrano Ave.	Villa Park	92861	Orange County	Orange Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 997-6251	747	28	26.2	57.8%	216 (28.9%)	5 (0.7%)	406 (54.4%)	75 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (5.8%)	64.8	792^nd of 2761 public middle schools	71.3%		67	746^th of 2783 public middle schools	73.2%	46	40.2	40.2		54.8	47.8	51.5		44.2	38.6	41.6	$16,091	$14,964	$1,127
Yorba Middle	Public	7-8	935 North Cambridge	Orange	92867	Orange County	Orange Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 997-6161	418	23	18.1	88.5%	23 (5.5%)	2 (0.5%)	381 (91.1%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	40.7	1477^th of 2761 public middle schools	46.5%		37	1568^th of 2783 public middle schools	43.7%	91	18.0	18.0		53.4	41.3	47.1		29.4	23.3	26.3	$19,061	$17,558	$1,503
Nicolas Junior High	Public	7-8	1100 West Olive Ave.	Fullerton	92833	Orange County	Fullerton Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 447-7775	539	30	18.2	82.6%	19 (3.5%)	10 (1.9%)	470 (87.2%)	19 (3.5%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	12 (2.2%)	29.7	1842^nd of 2761 public middle schools	33.3%		39.2	1497^th of 2783 public middle schools	46.2%	345	20.4	20.4		32.8	41.1	37.2		16.5	22.1	19.5	$17,057	$16,158	$899

Frequently Asked Questions about Valadez Middle School Academy

What is the racial makeup of Valadez Middle School Academy?

Students at Valadez Middle School Academy are 94% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Valadez Middle School Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 527 students attended Valadez Middle School Academy.

What district is Valadez Middle School Academy in?

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

What high school do graduates of Valadez Middle School Academy attend?

Students who attend Valadez Middle School Academy usually go on to attend Valencia High

Is Valadez Middle School Academy a good school?

Valadez Middle School Academy ranks 1873^rd of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Valadez Middle School Academy!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.