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Alumni: what's one memory from Branciforte Middle that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
409
Middle
DISTRICT 460 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SANTA CRUZ CITY HIGH·NCES 063560006060
Branciforte Middle
315 Poplar St., Santa Cruz, CA 95062 · (831) 429-3883 · Santa Cruz County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE13-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL409 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 54% of California public middle schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- AThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public middle schools
Student : Teacher
17.8:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.0:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
38%
156 students
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 65%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 137 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 150 | 37% |
| Grade 8 | 122 | 30% |
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
60.0%
CA avg 49.1% . +8.0pp since 2014
Math
39.7%
CA avg 37.7% . -4.3pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 60 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 40 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 8 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 4 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 21.2% | 38.8% | 19.9% | 20.1% |
| Math | 21.2% | 18.5% | 29.1% | 31.3% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 60.0% | 39.7% |
| 2023-24 | 45.4% | 37.3% |
| 2022-23 | 49.7% | 33.3% |
| 2021-22 | 48.9% | 30.5% |
| 2018-19 | 58.9% | 41.1% |
| 2017-18 | 56.3% | 38.5% |
| 2016-17 | 54.8% | 37.5% |
| 2015-16 | 54.0% | 40.0% |
| 2014-15 | 52.0% | 44.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
45.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
57.2%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-11.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 46% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 57% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Branciforte Middle
Branciforte Middle's state test result (45.6% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branciforte Middle this school | 409 | 38.1% | 45.6% |
| Ranchos Middle Madera | 452 | 36.7% | 55.8% |
| North Tahoe Middle Tahoe City | 301 | 41.2% | 50.1% |
| Joan MacQueen Middle Alpine | 405 | 36.8% | 36.8% |
| Adele Harrison Middle Sonoma | 334 | 29.3% | 32.7% |
| Mesa Verde Middle Moorpark | 574 | 32.1% | 44.5% |
Matched among California middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Branciforte Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Santa Cruz County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.6% | #416 of 1,224 | #5 of 12 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 39.7% | #409 of 1,227 ▲ 3 | #5 of 12 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 60.0% | #330 of 1,227 ▲ 203 | #3 of 12 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +10.1pp | #71 of 1,214 | #1 of 12 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 409 | #1,073 of 1,377 | #10 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.8:1 | #191 of 1,279 | #1 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 59.2% | #454 of 1,278 | #2 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 38.1% | #1,072 of 1,329 | #7 of 12 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -15.1% | #501 of 930 | #8 of 12 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
409
-11 (-3%) vs 2020
-18% since 1990-91, when it was 500
Student : Teacher
17.8:1
was 18.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 409 | 22.9 | 17.8:1 | 38% (156) |
| 2023-24 | 435 | 22.7 | 19.2:1 | 43% (186) |
| 2022-23 | 389 | 21.3 | 18.3:1 | 39% (151) |
| 2020-21 | 420 | 23 | 18.3:1 | 41% (172) |
| 2017-18 | 482 | 24.6 | 19.6:1 | 51% (247) |
| 2015-16 | 515 | 22 | 23.4:1 | 55% (281) |
| 2010-11 | 459 | N/A | N/A | 55% (252) |
| 2000-01 | 434 | 20 | 21.7:1 | 21% (89) |
| 1990-91 | 500 | 21 | 23.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Branciforte Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 15% (482 to 409); teachers down 7% (24.6 to 22.9).
About Branciforte Middle
Branciforte Middle is a small middle-grades school in Santa Cruz, California. It is open to students in grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 409 students. It has 38% fewer students than the average for middle schools in California (about 659).
Santa Cruz City High (9 schools, 4,455 students) runs Branciforte Middle.
The largest group at Branciforte Middle is Hispanic students, at 47%. The school is also 43% White and 6% multiracial. That is higher than the 35% Hispanic share among all Santa Cruz County residents. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 59%.
Branciforte Middle lists 22.9 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 17.8 students per teacher. Across middle schools in California, the average ratio is 20.7:1. Free or reduced-price lunch covers 38% of the student body. Compared with the 52% average for public schools in Santa Cruz County, the school's rate is lower.
Branciforte Middle earns a B- on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 54% of California public middle schools.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Branciforte Middle would score about 57.2%. It scores 45.6%, 11.6 points below that figure.
The school's county is Santa Cruz County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $111,093 a year, roughly 44% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. Branciforte Middle shares Santa Cruz County with 82 other public schools.
Measured in a straight line, Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch is about 0.3 miles from Branciforte Middle. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools. Among its closest neighbors with test data, Branciforte Middle is 2nd of 5 on proficiency.
The school's locale code, City: Small, means it is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Over the 4 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, enrollment fell 3%.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback here. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Santa Cruz County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
264,926
Census ACS
Median income
$111,093
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
83
36,316 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Santa Cruz City High
- Santa Cruz HighHigh · 1,093 students
- Soquel HighHigh · 1,074 students
- Harbor HighHigh · 1,013 students
- Mission Hill MiddleMiddle · 510 students
- Delta CharterHigh · 113 students
- Alternative Family EducationCombined · 110 students
Other schools in Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz HighHigh · 1,093 students
- Harbor HighHigh · 1,013 students
- Santa Cruz County CommunityHigh · 730 students
- Pacific Collegiate CharterHigh · 536 students
- Mission Hill MiddleMiddle · 510 students
- Brook Knoll ElementaryElementary · 498 students
Nearby schools
- Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch0.3 mi · 114
- Costanoa Continuation High0.3 mi · 77
- Ark Independent Studies0.3 mi · 56
- Alternative Family Education0.3 mi · 110
- Gault Elementary0.6 mi · 314
- De Laveaga Elementary0.9 mi · 481
Frequently asked questions
About Branciforte MiddleHow large is Branciforte Middle?
Branciforte Middle enrolls approximately 409 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Branciforte Middle serve?
Branciforte Middle serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Branciforte Middle?
Approximately 17.8:1 students per teacher at Branciforte Middle.
How diverse is Branciforte Middle?
Branciforte Middle reports a student body of 43% White, 47% Hispanic, 2% Black, 2% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees Branciforte Middle?
Branciforte Middle is overseen by Santa Cruz City High in Santa Cruz County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.