Summary:
ZIP code 95120 has two middle schools, Castillero Middle and Bret Harte Middle, both serving grades 6–8 in San Jose Unified, with nearly the same enrollment: 865 and 862 students. In 2025–2026, both schools were above California results in English language arts (ELA), math and science. Math is the clearest standout: Bret Harte reached 81% proficiency, compared with 55% at Castillero and 38% statewide.
Bret Harte leads the pair in all three subjects, while Castillero is second but still ahead of the state in each. Bret Harte’s results were 75% in ELA, 81% in math and 67% in science; Castillero’s were 64%, 55% and 51%. The school-to-school gaps were 11 percentage points in ELA, 26 in math and 16 in science. Bret Harte’s math result was 42 points above the state, its largest state margin; Castillero was 15–17 points above the state across the three subjects. Bret Harte also led in every grade-specific ELA and math comparison, with the largest grade-level gap in sixth-grade math at 28 points.
Over the two reported years, Castillero gained 6 points in ELA, 5 in math and 7 in science. Bret Harte’s ELA result was nearly unchanged, while math rose by 1 point and science by 3; the two-school average moved farther ahead of the state in all three subjects. SchoolDigger ranks Bret Harte 121st of 2,703 schools (96th percentile, 5 stars) and Castillero 417th (85th percentile, 4 stars) for 2025–2026. Other context differs too: in 2024–2025, student-teacher ratios were 21.1 at Bret Harte and 22.8 at Castillero, and the free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 12% and 32%, respectively. In 2025–2026, chronic absenteeism was 8% at Bret Harte and 13% at Castillero, both below the state’s 18%. These measures provide context, not explanations for the achievement differences.
Thank you for your feedback!