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La Mesa Junior High

Q: Is La Mesa Junior High a good school?

La Mesa Junior High ranks 659 th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

659^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,703 California Middle Schools

Better than 76% of California middle schools

Summary

La Mesa Junior High serves 1,017 students in grades 7–8 in Santa Clarita, within the William S. Hart Union High School District. In 2025–2026, its proficiency rates were above California’s in all three tested subjects, but below district and same-district peer averages in each. Its clearest shortfall is science: proficiency was 15 points below the district and 12 points below the peer average.

English language arts is La Mesa’s strongest comparison with the state: 61% of students were proficient, 12 points above California, though 9 points below the district and 6 below the peer average. Math proficiency was 47%—8 points above the state, 5 below the district and 8 below peers. Science proficiency was 37%, just 1 point above the state, but 15 below the district and 12 below peers. Among the five nearby district schools serving grades 7–8, La Mesa ranked fifth of six in ELA and science, and fourth of six in math.

Results have improved overall since 2022–2023: ELA rose 9 points, math 15 and science 9, though scores did not climb every year. SchoolDigger’s overall ranking rose from the 65th percentile and 3 stars in 2023–2024 to the 76th percentile and 4 stars in 2025–2026. The 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 20.2, the lowest among La Mesa and its five same-district peers. Its reported free/reduced lunch eligibility was 48% in 2024–2025; California is identified as a statewide free-meals state, but this remains La Mesa’s own eligibility measure. SchoolDigger’s measure of how well the school serves English-language learners fell from the 73rd percentile in 2022–2023 to the 26th in 2023–2024; no newer group ranking is provided. In contrast, its ranking for how well it serves homeless students reached the 90th percentile in 2025–2026, 14 percentile points above the school’s overall ranking.

1,017

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,723

Per pupil spending ?

47.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

26623 May Way
Santa Clarita, CA 91351-5577

(661) 250-0022

District: William S. Hart Union High

Students who attend La Mesa Junior High usually attend:

High:	Academy of the Canyons
	Golden Valley High

Feeder schools for La Mesa Junior High:

Elementary:	Canyon Springs Community Elementary
	Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary
	Fair Oaks Ranch Community
	Golden Oak Community
	More...
	Rio Vista Elementary
	Valley View Community Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.8%

White:

17.7%

Asian:

13.1%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare La Mesa Junior High to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2015 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (50% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of California middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of William S. Hart Union High's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg59%

California avg42%

659^th of 2,703

California public middle schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 6Middle Schools in the William S. Hart Union High

235^th of 968William S. Hart Union High 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	70.8	659 of 2703	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	67.3	735 of 2761	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	965 of 2783	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.5	941 of 2781	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	894 of 2740	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.0	841 of 2715	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	694 of 2480	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	65.5	765 of 2508	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	63.1	799 of 2497	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.7	926 of 2477	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.1	595 of 2379	75.0%	★★★★☆
2012	68.4	613 of 2259	72.9%	★★★★☆
2011	65.2	676 of 2236	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.2	545 of 2179	75.0%	★★★★☆
2009	72.6	454 of 2063	78.0%	★★★★☆
2008	68.9	508 of 2005	74.7%	★★★★☆
2007	67.9	529 of 1999	73.5%	★★★★☆
2006	65.9	522 of 1804	71.1%	★★★★☆
2005	69.1	459 of 1777	74.2%	★★★★☆
2004	81.2	272 of 1769	84.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	81.9	67 of 583	88.5%	★★★★☆
2025	84.1	59 of 609	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	75.2	114 of 627	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	46 of 613	92.5%	★★★★★
2022	88.6	47 of 637	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	81.0	86 of 643	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	76 of 600	87.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.8	259 of 769	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.0	282 of 739	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	230 of 743	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.0	301 of 715	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.4	358 of 733	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.2	379 of 745	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	74.6	178 of 700	74.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	42.6	699 of 1531	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.7	715 of 1491	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.7	728 of 1369	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	32.6	1097 of 1478	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.1	412 of 1521	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	45.2	597 of 1540	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	744 of 1442	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	457 of 1364	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	607 of 2483	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	63.8	741 of 2533	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.1	1008 of 2551	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	960 of 2531	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.3	878 of 2509	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	803 of 2380	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.6	626 of 2262	72.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	70.0	531 of 2325	77.2%	★★★★☆
2025	63.0	672 of 2395	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	50.8	973 of 2388	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	793 of 2374	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.9	722 of 2359	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.6	696 of 2213	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.6	545 of 2072	73.7%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	80.8	46 of 442	89.6%	★★★★☆
2025	79.8	51 of 477	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	53.1	141 of 394	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.6	136 of 320	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.5	74 of 336	78.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	665 of 2493	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	62.4	727 of 2542	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	53.3	943 of 2579	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	972 of 2531	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.3	776 of 2458	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.1	705 of 2369	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	63.3	620 of 2230	72.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.5	659 of 2478	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	68.0	661 of 2534	73.9%	★★★★☆
2024	59.0	839 of 2552	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.9	796 of 2538	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.2	770 of 2527	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	762 of 2407	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	687 of 2273	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	300 of 726	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	335 of 701	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.9	459 of 677	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.9	366 of 554	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.9	232 of 462	49.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	507 of 1586	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.3	772 of 1566	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.8	538 of 1552	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.7	707 of 1531	53.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	502 of 1482	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.0	576 of 1520	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.3	891 of 1537	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.3	770 of 1543	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	509 of 1555	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.1	375 of 1602	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	402 of 1496	73.1%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)90th percentile+14 vs school

African American (2026)89th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)77th percentile~ school

Female (2026)76th percentile~ school

Male (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)68th percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2026)66th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)66th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)59th percentile-15 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)26th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy61%+12 vs state

Mathematics47%+8 vs state

Science37%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student on FaceBook
Saturday, December 25, 2010

I went to La Mesa Jr High and let me tell you it is THE best school ever not only is it a bully free zone it has an amazing staff my ELL teacher Mr.Malave thought me that I could do anything I wanted be anything I wanted. He pushed me to work harder. He saw that I had potential but I was not using it and he brought it out. I fell in love with history while I was there thanks to the history teacher I had. In reality the entire staff is splendid and i think they should receive an award for there hard work and caring behavior. One more thing I would like to say is that I dislike math so so much, but when i was at that school math was the best period ever my teacher made it extremely fun he would make little dances and songs to help us memorize things. If you are looking to move to Santa Clarita and want the best Jr High for your son or daughter then look no more La Mesa Is the school they should go to. Close Quote

Schools Near La Mesa Junior High

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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
La Mesa Junior High	Public	7-8	26623 May Way	Santa Clarita	91351	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 250-0022	1,017	50	20.2	47.8%	180 (17.7%)	79 (7.8%)	578 (56.8%)	133 (13.1%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	42 (4.1%)	70.8	659^th of 2703 public middle schools	75.6%		67.3	735^th of 2761 public middle schools	73.4%	76	36.6	36.6		60.2	62.5	61.4		48.5	45.4	46.8	$20,723	$18,744	$1,979
Sierra Vista Junior High	Public	7-8	19425 West Stillmore St.	Canyon Country	91351	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 252-3113	946	46	20.4	43.4%	211 (22.3%)	23 (2.4%)	651 (68.8%)	35 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.4%)	55.6	1028^th of 2703 public middle schools	62.0%		59	930^th of 2761 public middle schools	66.3%	98	33.9	33.9		55.9	46.1	50.7		38.7	37.5	38.0	$22,262	$21,068	$1,194
Placerita Junior High	Public	7-8	25015 North Newhall Ave.	Newhall	91321	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 259-1551	940	44	21.3	53.6%	260 (27.7%)	10 (1.1%)	610 (64.9%)	36 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.6%)	72.9	606^th of 2703 public middle schools	77.6%		78.1	514^th of 2761 public middle schools	81.4%	92	40.4	40.4		65.6	61.6	63.7		50.9	40.0	45.7	$21,072	$20,170	$902
Arroyo Seco Junior High	Public	7-8	27171 North Vista Delgado Dr.	Valencia	91354	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 296-0991	1,239	51	24.3	17.2%	472 (38.1%)	37 (3.0%)	473 (38.2%)	164 (13.2%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (7.2%)	84	383^rd of 2703 public middle schools	85.8%		86.9	337^th of 2761 public middle schools	87.8%	46	49.3	49.3		67.6	67.3	67.5		53.9	58.0	55.9	$18,483	$17,682	$801
Rio Norte Junior High	Public	7-8	28771 Rio Norte Dr.	Santa Clarita	91354	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 295-3700	1,138	47	24.0	17.0%	436 (38.3%)	54 (4.7%)	282 (24.8%)	294 (25.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	70 (6.2%)	93.3	184^th of 2703 public middle schools	93.2%		92	227^th of 2761 public middle schools	91.8%	43	60.5	60.5		83.3	71.8	77.5		72.4	61.1	66.7	$20,555	$18,900	$1,655
Rancho Pico Junior High	Public	7-8	26250 West Valencia Blvd.	Stevenson Ranch	91381	Los Angeles County	William S. Hart Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 284-3260	842	36	23.5	13.4%	289 (34.3%)	37 (4.4%)	194 (23.0%)	252 (29.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (8.1%)	94	164^th of 2703 public middle schools	93.9%		95.5	134^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.1%	30	58.1	58.1		82.2	77.9	80.1		71.7	63.0	67.4	$20,594	$19,416	$1,178
Olive Vista Middle	Public	6-8	14600 Tyler St.	Sylmar	91342	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 833-3900	897	49	18.2	88.7%	15 (1.7%)	11 (1.2%)	856 (95.4%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.8%)	39.1	1510^th of 2703 public middle schools	44.1%		39.5	1501^st of 2761 public middle schools	45.6%	9	29.5	29.5	35.5	39.8	46.1	40.3	26.2	25.8	35.6	29.2	$39,538	$37,054	$2,484
Robert Frost Middle	Public	6-8	12314 Bradford Pl.	Granada Hills	91344	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 832-6900	1,505	63	23.8	54.1%	498 (33.1%)	49 (3.3%)	749 (49.8%)	138 (9.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (4.7%)	91.8	218^th of 2703 public middle schools	91.9%		91.7	232^nd of 2761 public middle schools	91.6%	14	60.6	60.6	71.7	77.0	72.1	73.6	63.0	66.0	61.0	63.4	$28,840	$27,056	$1,784
PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1218 North Fourth St.	San Fernando	91504	Los Angeles County	PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 256-1951	351	16	21.9	90.0%	6 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	340 (96.9%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
San Fernando Middle	Public	6-8	130 North Brand Blvd.	San Fernando	91340	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 837-5400	442	28	15.5	95.7%	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	427 (96.6%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19.9	2196^th of 2703 public middle schools	18.8%		18.7	2279^th of 2761 public middle schools	17.5%	83	16.5	16.5	23.2	39.7	23.9	29.0	13.8	23.0	16.2	17.8	$57,103	$52,394	$4,709

Frequently Asked Questions about La Mesa Junior High

What high school do graduates of La Mesa Junior High attend?

Students who attend La Mesa Junior High usually go on to attend Academy of the Canyons

What is the racial makeup of La Mesa Junior High?

Students at La Mesa Junior High are 57% Hispanic, 18% White, 13% Asian, 8% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend La Mesa Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,017 students attended La Mesa Junior High.

Is La Mesa Junior High a good school?

La Mesa Junior High ranks 659^th of 2703 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is La Mesa Junior High in?

William S. Hart Union High

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 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.