Elizabeth Ustach Middle

Elizabeth Ustach Middle, a high-enrollment middle school in Modesto, California, overseen by Sylvan Union Elementary, hosts 1,016 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 54% larger than typical.

Sylvan Union Elementary comprises 13 schools with combined enrollment of 7,974 students; Elizabeth Ustach Middle is among them.

In terms of who attends, Elizabeth Ustach Middle logs that the most-represented group is Hispanic (50%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 25% White, 14% Asian, 7% multiracial. Compared to Stanislaus County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Elizabeth Ustach Middle has 50 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.4:1. The state averages about 20.7:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 56% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is below Stanislaus County's rate of about 71%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Elizabeth Ustach Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 46.0%; this one delivers 47.5%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Stanislaus County) logs that median household income runs about $81,468, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Stanislaus County's 190 public schools (combined enrollment of about 106,477 students), Elizabeth Ustach Middle is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is James C. Enochs High, roughly 0.9 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Elizabeth Ustach Middle ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 44.3%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count stayed largely flat: 1,034 students in 2018 compared to 1,016 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment ticked up from 40% to 50% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 24.2:1 in 2018 to 20.4:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.