Summary:
This analysis covers two public middle schools (grades 6-8) located in zip code 90504 in Torrance, California, both operating within the high-performing Torrance Unified school district.
Among these schools, Casimir Middle stands out as the higher-performing option, ranking in the 85th percentile among all California middle schools compared to Philip Magruder Middle's 74th percentile. Casimir demonstrates stronger academic results, with significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts (67.8% vs. 53.3%) and Mathematics (57.0% vs. 44.6%), though Magruder shows a relative strength in Science. A particularly striking difference is in chronic absenteeism, where Casimir's rate of 4.4% is less than a third of Magruder's 13.5%, which likely contributes to the academic gap.
Both schools serve a similar number of students and have comparable resources, but outcomes differ. While Magruder actually receives slightly more funding per student, Casimir maintains a lower student-teacher ratio and a lower percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Parents should note that both schools consistently earn 4-star ratings and outperform state averages across all subjects, benefiting from the strong support of their district, which ranks in the 87th percentile statewide.
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