Judkins Middle

Judkins Middle is a middle-grades school of modestly sized scale in Pismo Beach, California, one of the schools within Lucia Mar Unified, educateing 431 students in grades 7 through 8. That puts it 35% smaller than the typical public school in California, which averages around 659 students.

Across the 19 schools in Lucia Mar Unified (9,590 students total), Judkins Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Judkins Middle logs that the most-represented group is Hispanic (55%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 36% White, 6% multiracial, 2% Asian. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 25%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 20.7:1 average. About 60% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, Judkins Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 43.6%; this one delivers 43.1%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for San Luis Obispo County put median household income runs about $97,446, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Judkins Middle is one of 83 public schools in San Luis Obispo County (combined enrollment of about 33,339 students).

The closest other public school is Grover Heights Elementary, roughly 1.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Judkins Middle. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Judkins Middle ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 48.7%.

Judkins Middle operates from a bedroom-community location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 12%: 489 students in 2018 compared to 431 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 45% to 36%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 20.6:1 in 2018 to 17.5:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Judkins Middle typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.