Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 94114

This analysis covers two public middle schools (grades 6-8) operated by the San Francisco Unified district in San Francisco's 94114 zip code, both serving predominantly low-income student populations.

Among these schools, Lick (James) Middle is the stronger academic performer, with higher proficiency rates in English and math and a lower chronic absenteeism rate than Everett Middle. However, both schools perform significantly below district and state averages across all subjects and have consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of California middle schools for the last three years. A notable finding is that Everett Middle School receives more funding per student and has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio, yet has lower academic outcomes.

A critical concern for both schools is chronic absenteeism, with rates (34.6% at James Lick and 42.5% at Everett) far exceeding the state average, which is a major barrier to student learning. Parents should note that academic proficiency, particularly in mathematics, shows a sharp drop in 7th grade at both schools. While James Lick Middle School stands out as the higher-performing option in the area, families should be aware that both institutions face significant systemic challenges in achieving academic benchmarks.