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Rio Norte Junior High

Public Grades 7-8

227^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 92% of California middle schools

Summary

Rio Norte Junior High is a consistently top-performing 7th-8th grade school serving about 1,140 students in Santa Clarita, part of the high-achieving William S. Hart Union High district.

The school stands out for its sustained academic excellence, ranking in the 92nd percentile statewide, with particularly strong math scores that significantly outpace both district and state averages. It maintains this high performance efficiently, achieving excellent results with moderate per-student spending and a slightly higher student-teacher ratio than some neighbors. Notably, chronic absenteeism is low, suggesting a positive and engaging school climate. While other schools in the district like Rancho Pico Junior High perform similarly, Rio Norte outperforms other nearby schools such as Arroyo Seco Junior High and Sierra Vista Junior High.

An important strength is the school's success across diverse student groups, with historically high rankings for economically disadvantaged students, special education students, and multiple racial/ethnic groups. This pattern of strong support for all students is a key differentiator. The school has shown resilience, maintaining its elite status through recent challenges, though a recent uptick in chronic absenteeism is a point to watch. For parents, Rio Norte represents a model of consistent, high-quality education within a supportive and effective district framework.

1,138

Students ?

24.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,742

Per pupil spending ?

17%

Free/discounted lunch ?

28771 Rio Norte Dr.
Santa Clarita, CA 91354-1700

(661) 295-3700

District: William S. Hart Union High

Students who attend Rio Norte Junior High usually attend:

High:	Academy of the Canyons
	Valencia High

Feeder schools for Rio Norte Junior High:

Elementary:	Charles Helmers Elementary
	North Park Elementary
	Tesoro del Valle Elementary
	West Creek Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.3%

Asian:

25.8%

Hispanic:

24.8%

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Compare Rio Norte Junior High to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 93rd percentile in 2013 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (66% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of California middle schools

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg56%

California avg41%

227^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 8%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6Middle Schools in the William S. Hart Union High

235^th of 1,543William 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
2025	92.0	227 of 2761	91.8%	★★★★★
2024	90.1	276 of 2783	90.1%	★★★★★
2023	92.3	221 of 2781	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.5	235 of 2740	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	93.1	194 of 2715	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	93.7	159 of 2480	93.6%	★★★★★
2017	90.9	228 of 2508	90.9%	★★★★★
2016	91.1	200 of 2497	92.0%	★★★★★
2015	92.6	161 of 2477	93.5%	★★★★★
2013	86.3	158 of 2379	93.4%	★★★★★
2012	87.1	146 of 2259	93.5%	★★★★★
2011	87.0	148 of 2236	93.4%	★★★★★
2010	88.4	128 of 2179	94.1%	★★★★★
2009	87.8	139 of 2063	93.3%	★★★★★
2008	87.8	147 of 2005	92.7%	★★★★★
2007	90.3	116 of 1999	94.2%	★★★★★
2006	90.8	111 of 1804	93.8%	★★★★★
2005	89.1	131 of 1777	92.6%	★★★★★
2004	85.9	182 of 1769	89.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.5	33 of 609	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	96.5	19 of 627	97.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.2	10 of 613	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	97.8	7 of 637	98.9%	★★★★★
2019	96.1	17 of 643	97.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	16 of 600	97.3%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	80.8	104 of 739	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	75.8	176 of 743	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	137 of 715	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	153 of 733	79.1%	★★★★☆
2019	84.4	46 of 745	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	84.3	51 of 700	92.7%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	82.3	157 of 1531	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	95.6	48 of 1491	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	96.6	31 of 1369	97.7%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	59.0	282 of 1521	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	88.8	84 of 1364	93.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.4	238 of 2533	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	89.1	269 of 2551	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	91.8	205 of 2531	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	91.2	208 of 2509	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	89.8	228 of 2380	90.4%	★★★★★
2018	91.5	184 of 2262	91.9%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.6	145 of 2395	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	84.5	225 of 2388	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	91.1	124 of 2374	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	87.6	172 of 2359	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	95.1	63 of 2213	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	93.3	91 of 2072	95.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	92.1	136 of 2542	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	88.2	216 of 2579	91.6%	★★★★★
2023	93.3	110 of 2531	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	84.0	226 of 2458	90.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.8	144 of 2369	93.9%	★★★★★
2018	94.8	61 of 2230	97.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.7	210 of 2534	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	89.2	272 of 2552	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	91.2	213 of 2538	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	90.8	226 of 2527	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	94.6	138 of 2407	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	94.6	123 of 2273	94.6%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	81.6	116 of 726	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	254 of 701	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	270 of 677	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.8	153 of 554	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	82 of 462	82.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.6	199 of 1566	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.7	233 of 1552	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	90.9	81 of 1531	94.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	391 of 1520	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	282 of 1537	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	78.1	267 of 1543	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.7	329 of 1555	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.6	309 of 1602	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.4	255 of 1496	83.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)95th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)94th percentile~ school

Male (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)90th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)87th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2025)86th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)84th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)81st percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)74th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy75%+26 vs state

Mathematics63%+26 vs state

Science53%+20 vs state

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Schools Near Rio Norte 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
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%)	92	227^th of 2761 public middle schools	91.8%		90.1	276^th of 2783 public middle schools	90.1%	49	52.7	52.7		76.7	72.1	74.5		64.6	61.6	63.2	$16,742	$1,862	$14,880
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%)	86.9	337^th of 2761 public middle schools	87.8%		85.4	378^th of 2783 public middle schools	86.4%	41	52.4	52.4		68.7	68.5	68.6		52.7	57.7	55.1	$15,276	$870	$14,406
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%)	95.5	134^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.1%		95	154^th of 2783 public middle schools	94.5%	20	61.5	61.5		82.1	80.8	81.4		70.7	62.4	66.4	$16,697	$1,224	$15,473
Castaic Middle	Public	7-8	28900 Hillcrest Pkwy.	Castaic	91384	Los Angeles County	Castaic Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 257-4550	451	20	22.7	50.8%	157 (34.8%)	12 (2.7%)	216 (47.9%)	29 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.0%)	71.2	645^th of 2761 public middle schools	76.6%		64.3	797^th of 2783 public middle schools	71.4%	152	42.7	42.7		59.4	62.3	60.8		40.6	39.3	40.0	$17,609	$421	$17,188
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%)	78.1	514^th of 2761 public middle schools	81.4%		80	478^th of 2783 public middle schools	82.8%	36	46.6	46.6		64.1	60.0	62.0		52.0	43.0	47.4	$17,872	$958	$16,914
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%)	59	930^th of 2761 public middle schools	66.3%		59.7	896^th of 2783 public middle schools	67.8%	34	36.1	36.1		51.0	55.2	53.0		34.3	34.6	34.4	$17,813	$1,078	$16,735
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%)	67.3	735^th of 2761 public middle schools	73.4%		56.8	965^th of 2783 public middle schools	65.3%	230	31.2	31.2		63.6	55.4	59.3		50.8	35.6	42.9	$18,315	$1,945	$16,370
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%)	91.7	232^nd of 2761 public middle schools	91.6%		91	257^th of 2783 public middle schools	90.8%	25	55.0	55.0	74.6	78.2	69.5	74.2	65.4	60.7	58.9	61.8	$17,892	$2,895	$14,997
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%)	39.5	1501^st of 2761 public middle schools	45.6%		32.6	1721^st of 2783 public middle schools	38.2%	220	24.4	24.4	39.3	43.2	39.7	40.8	21.6	32.9	28.3	27.9	$23,086	$3,921	$19,165
PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1218 North Fourth St.	San Fernando	91340	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%)	34.9	1648^th of 2761 public middle schools	40.3%		31.9	1734^th of 2783 public middle schools	37.7%	86	18.0	18.0	40.3	46.6	37.6	41.5	25.2	28.0	17.1	23.5	$20,017	$17,245	$2,772

Frequently Asked Questions about Rio Norte Junior High

What high school do graduates of Rio Norte Junior High attend?

Students who attend Rio Norte Junior High usually go on to attend Academy of the Canyons

How many students attend Rio Norte Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,138 students attended Rio Norte Junior High.

What district is Rio Norte Junior High in?

William S. Hart Union High

What is the racial makeup of Rio Norte Junior High?

Students at Rio Norte Junior High are 38% White, 26% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Is Rio Norte Junior High a good school?

Yes. Rio Norte Junior High ranks in the top 8.2% of California middle schools.

Rate Rio Norte Junior High!

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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.