Magnolia Intermediate

Magnolia Intermediate is a close-knit middle school in Grass Valley, California, operated by Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary. The school instructs 410 students in grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 38% smaller than typical.

Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 1,440 students; Magnolia Intermediate is among them.

Demographically, Magnolia Intermediate lists that White students make up the majority at 68%. Beyond that, the school reports 16% Hispanic, 14% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 84% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 21.6:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 20.7:1 average. About 32% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Nevada County (around 43%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Magnolia Intermediate is in the bottom 10% of California public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 60.3%; Magnolia Intermediate posts 42.4%, -17.9 points below that line.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Nevada County shows median household income runs about $89,882, 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Magnolia Intermediate is one of 46 public schools in Nevada County (combined enrollment of about 13,561 students).

Cottage Hill Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 6 other public schools cluster around Magnolia Intermediate. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Magnolia Intermediate at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 48.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Magnolia Intermediate has increased 4%, going from 394 students in 2018 to 410 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 80% to 68% over that span.

On allk12, members of the Magnolia Intermediate community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.