Summary:
ZIP code 92688 has three middle schools: Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate serves grades 7–8, while Las Flores Middle and Arroyo Vista Middle serve grades 6–8. In 2025–2026, all three were above state proficiency levels in ELA, math, and science; the schools’ average advantages were 22, 26, and 30 percentage points, respectively. The most important takeaway is that strong results across the area do not mean results are uniform: Rancho Santa Margarita was lowest among the three in every all-grades subject.
Arroyo Vista led all-grades ELA at 79% and science at 76%, beating the next-highest school by 5 and 8 points. Las Flores narrowly led math at 69%, just 1 point above Arroyo Vista. Rancho Santa Margarita recorded 62% in ELA, 58% in math, and 54% in science—16, 11, and 21 points below the respective leaders. Grade-level results add nuance: Las Flores led grade 7 ELA and math, while Arroyo Vista led all three reported grade 8 subjects. SchoolDigger gave Arroyo Vista and Las Flores five stars and rankings in the 94th and 93rd percentiles; Rancho Santa Margarita received four stars and ranked in the 85th percentile.
From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, the schools’ average lead over the state narrowed by 4 points in ELA, 4 in math, and 3 in science. Average school scores fell 3 points in both ELA and math, while science rose by less than a point; Arroyo Vista was a notable exception, increasing its science score by 4 points and widening its state advantage by 1 point. Other differences may help families compare schools, but do not explain score results: student-teacher ratios were 20.8 at Arroyo Vista, 21.4 at Las Flores, and 24 at Rancho Santa Margarita. All three reported free/reduced lunch eligibility for 2024–2025: 20%, 22%, and 29%, respectively. SchoolDigger percentiles were lower than in 2023–2024 at all three schools, a change of 3 to 4 percentile points.
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