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Taft Middle

Q: Is Taft Middle a good school?

Taft Middle ranks 1412 th of 2740 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1412^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,740 California Middle Schools

Better than 48% of California middle schools

Summary

Taft Middle is a San Diego, California, school serving grades 6–8, with 410 students in the San Diego Unified area. Its 2025–2026 proficiency results show a clear difference by subject: 47% in English language arts (ELA), 29% in math and 26% in science. The most important finding is that ELA is relatively close to the state, while math and science are about 10 percentage points behind it.

ELA is Taft’s strongest subject compared with the state, district and nearby-school averages, while science is its weakest against nearby schools. Taft’s ELA score is 3 points below the state and 7 below the district; its math score is 10 points below the state and 17 below the district. Science is 10 points below the state and 15 below the district. Compared with the nine nearby schools with scores, Taft is 2 points below their average in ELA, 8 below in math and 9 below in science. Among Taft and those schools, it ranks fifth in ELA, fifth in math and fourth in science—around the middle overall, though toward the lower end in science.

Scores rebounded from 2024–2025, rising 6 points in ELA, 4 in math and 9 in science, but the longer view is mixed: since 2022–2023, ELA rose 2 points, science rose 1, and math fell 1. Taft’s SchoolDigger standing improved from the 40th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 49th percentile with 2 stars in 2025–2026, still near the statewide middle. Its 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 20.6:1, close to the nearby average of 19.9:1. The school’s 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligible rate was 66%, compared with a 62% nearby-school average; these figures describe context, not a cause of results. One notable subgroup result: SchoolDigger ranked Taft at the 79th percentile for effectiveness with homeless students in 2024–2025, compared with the school’s 40th-percentile overall ranking that year.

410

Students ?

20.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,516

Per pupil spending ?

65.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

9191 Gramercy Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123-4015

(858) 935-2650

District: San Diego Unified

Students who attend Taft Middle usually attend:

High:	Kearny College Connections
	Kearny Digital Media & Design
	Kearny Eng Innov & Design
	Kearny School of Biomedical Science and Technology

Feeder schools for Taft Middle:

Elementary:	Angier Elementary
	Cubberley Elementary
	Jones Elementary
	Juarez Elementary
	More...
	Wegeforth Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.7%

White:

15.4%

African American:

15.4%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Taft Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2015 → 48th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (36% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg48%

California avg42%

1,412^th of 2,740

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 23Middle Schools in the San Diego Unified

600^th of 1,530San Diego 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
2026	42.7	1412 of 2740	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	1654 of 2761	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	1256 of 2783	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	1154 of 2781	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.3	1427 of 2740	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	1279 of 2715	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.6	1379 of 2480	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.6	1382 of 2508	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.6	1174 of 2497	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.8	1151 of 2477	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	38.5	1475 of 2379	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.9	1198 of 2259	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.8	1451 of 2236	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.1	1198 of 2179	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.2	1054 of 2063	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	38.9	1190 of 2005	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.6	1100 of 1999	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.2	1062 of 1804	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.0	1106 of 1777	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	37.2	1032 of 1769	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	334 of 594	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.5	362 of 609	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	329 of 627	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	314 of 613	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.9	363 of 637	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.9	169 of 643	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	53.3	238 of 600	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.6	463 of 743	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	10.6	652 of 733	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.7	561 of 745	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	600 of 700	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	35.2	889 of 1531	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.7	226 of 1491	84.8%	★★★★☆
2018	66.8	282 of 1369	79.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	39.8	772 of 1540	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	555 of 1442	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	516 of 1364	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	1452 of 2516	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.8	1624 of 2533	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	1297 of 2551	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.6	1042 of 2531	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.2	1552 of 2509	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.8	1297 of 2380	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	1341 of 2262	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	1234 of 2357	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.2	1684 of 2395	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.6	1173 of 2388	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	961 of 2374	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.8	889 of 2359	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.8	1197 of 2213	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.1	1124 of 2072	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	101 of 477	78.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	49.0	1112 of 2529	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.9	1611 of 2542	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.3	1097 of 2579	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.3	1106 of 2531	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	1133 of 2458	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	1025 of 2369	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.3	1043 of 2230	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	1190 of 2514	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.1	1461 of 2534	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	1053 of 2552	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.0	1095 of 2538	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	1096 of 2527	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.8	1050 of 2407	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.9	1231 of 2273	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	75 of 181	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.0	120 of 194	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.8	91 of 197	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	120 of 193	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	488 of 735	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.1	551 of 726	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	568 of 701	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	475 of 677	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	436 of 665	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.1	456 of 554	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	398 of 462	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	833 of 1605	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.7	830 of 1566	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	864 of 1552	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.7	562 of 1531	63.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	33.7	982 of 1490	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.3	1175 of 1520	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.4	755 of 1537	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	990 of 1543	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.6	1246 of 1555	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.2	1065 of 1602	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.7	1069 of 1496	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)79th percentile+39 vs school

Military Connected (2026)59th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)53rd percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)50th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)48th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile~ school

African American (2026)44th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)42nd percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)42nd percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2024)38th percentile-17 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)34th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy47%-3 vs state

Mathematics29%-10 vs state

Science26%-10 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 10, 2019

The teachers and staff do not communicate with parents unless the problem has become so out of hand that they have no other options. I feel there are very few faculty members who want to see the students succeed. My experience has been that they micromanage the children and use positions of authority to intimidate anyone who questions them. Communication is nonexistent, so be sure to check your child's grades frequently if you are concerned. Do not expect email responses back from administration or teachers it is the exception, not the rule.

Also, if your child has an IEP, 504, or has been behaviorally "problematic" in the past, do not send them here. They will walk around with a target on their back and a label on their forehead, marking them as a "bad kid." Do not expect the administration to go out of their way to help your child. They will only do that if THEY feel the different has potential Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 7, 2012

THIS SCHOOL IS HORRIBLE!!! The staff and Teacher there do not care about education for the children..." No Child Left Behind Act" ahahA! Your child will get left behind. There not encouraging,They don't interact with the parents whatsoever,and they treat the children like failures....TERRIBLE SCHOOL!!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Taft Middle

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Taft Middle	Public	6-8	9191 Gramercy Dr.	San Diego	92123	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 935-2650	410	20	20.6	65.6%	63 (15.4%)	63 (15.4%)	171 (41.7%)	47 (11.5%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	60 (14.6%)	42.7	1412^th of 2740 public middle schools	48.5%		34.8	1654^th of 2761 public middle schools	40.1%	242	26.4	26.4	38.8	50.0	49.6	46.7	30.5	27.2	28.5	28.6	$20,516	$1,904	$18,612
Farb Middle	Public	6-8	4880 La Cuenta Dr.	San Diego	92124	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 397-6750	443	29	15.4	67.7%	134 (30.2%)	52 (11.7%)	165 (37.2%)	27 (6.1%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.9%)	56 (12.6%)	49	1216^th of 2740 public middle schools	55.6%		61.6	863^rd of 2761 public middle schools	68.7%	353	33.9	33.9	49.2	50.0	46.4	48.7	29.7	31.5	33.0	31.4	$23,580	$1,984	$21,596
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego	Public, Charter	6-8	6525 Estrella Ave.	San Diego	92120	San Diego County	Magnolia Science Academy San Diego District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 644-1300	464	17	26.9	34.1%	171 (36.9%)	17 (3.7%)	157 (33.8%)	53 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	62 (13.4%)	91.3	229^th of 2740 public middle schools	91.6%		91	251^st of 2761 public middle schools	90.9%	22	71.6	71.6	68.2	72.9	81.2	74.0	56.7	59.6	66.5	60.9	$15,154	$1,095	$14,059
Montgomery Middle	Public	6-8	2470 Ulric St.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 397-6600	337	17	19.3	86.1%	22 (6.5%)	30 (8.9%)	211 (62.6%)	63 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.0%)	27.5	1933^rd of 2740 public middle schools	29.5%		36.8	1591^st of 2761 public middle schools	42.4%	342	23.2	23.2	25.4	35.8	42.7	34.5	22.4	18.6	23.9	21.6	$24,949	$3,238	$21,711
De Portola Middle	Public	6-8	11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.	San Diego	92124	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 496-8080	680	29	23.7	45.0%	239 (35.1%)	29 (4.3%)	245 (36.0%)	65 (9.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	97 (14.3%)	87.9	303^rd of 2740 public middle schools	88.9%		90.5	264^th of 2761 public middle schools	90.4%	39	52.7	52.7	66.0	77.5	63.7	69.3	57.5	67.3	59.8	61.7	$19,418	$1,237	$18,181
Lewis Middle	Public	6-8	5170 Greenbrier Ave.	San Diego	92120	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4300	1,013	42	23.8	48.5%	347 (34.3%)	66 (6.5%)	316 (31.2%)	157 (15.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	124 (12.2%)	80.2	464^th of 2740 public middle schools	83.1%		83.3	409^th of 2761 public middle schools	85.2%	55	53.5	53.5	64.1	59.5	60.1	61.3	55.8	50.9	53.8	53.5	$18,261	$1,057	$17,204
High Technical Middle Mesa	Public, Charter	6-8	5331 Mt. Alifan Dr.	San Diego	92106	San Diego County	High Technical Middle Mesa District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4600	352	24	14.5	41.2%	121 (34.4%)	13 (3.7%)	123 (34.9%)	70 (19.9%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.1%)	16 (4.5%)	73.5	599^th of 2740 public middle schools	78.1%		60	906^th of 2761 public middle schools	67.2%	307	38.9	38.9	59.8	59.1	62.5	60.5	51.3	46.4	48.3	48.7	$12,778	$900	$11,878
Wilson Middle	Public	6-8	3838 Orange Ave.	San Diego	92105	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-3400	712	36	19.6	95.6%	18 (2.5%)	62 (8.7%)	532 (74.7%)	85 (11.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (1.7%)	20.7	2188^th of 2740 public middle schools	20.1%		20.3	2213^th of 2761 public middle schools	19.8%	25	20.5	20.5	29.5	25.1	37.1	30.7	12.8	13.6	20.8	15.9	$21,253	$2,269	$18,984
Innovation Middle	Public	6-8	5095 Arvinels Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 278-5948	350	21	16.5	80.0%	56 (16.0%)	15 (4.3%)	204 (58.3%)	37 (10.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	33 (9.4%)	37.2	1592^nd of 2740 public middle schools	41.9%		54.5	1056^th of 2761 public middle schools	61.8%	536	28.0	28.0	36.8	53.3	37.6	42.2	27.1	31.5	17.2	25.3	$22,468	$1,811	$20,657
Creative Performing and Media Arts	Public	6-8	5050 Conrad Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 800-5550	614	35	17.3	77.4%	90 (14.7%)	76 (12.4%)	352 (57.3%)	51 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.2%)	22.4	2111^th of 2740 public middle schools	23.0%		28.4	1879^th of 2761 public middle schools	31.9%	232	18.8	18.8	30.2	45.9	29.0	35.1	13.8	17.1	13.5	14.8	$25,284	$3,608	$21,676

Frequently Asked Questions about Taft Middle

What is the racial makeup of Taft Middle?

Students at Taft Middle are 42% Hispanic, 15% White, 15% African American, 15% Two or more races, 11% Asian.

Is Taft Middle a good school?

Taft Middle ranks 1412^th of 2740 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Taft Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended Taft Middle.

What high school do graduates of Taft Middle attend?

Students who attend Taft Middle usually go on to attend Kearny College Connections

What district is Taft Middle in?

San Diego Unified

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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.