Matthew Gage Middle

Matthew Gage Middle is an average-sized 6-8 campus in Riverside, California, part of Riverside Unified. The school hosts 840 students in grades 7 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 27% larger than typical.

Within Riverside Unified, which oversees 48 schools and 38,002 students, Matthew Gage Middle is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Matthew Gage Middle lists that 68% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest reads as 22% White, 4% Black, 3% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 51%.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 21.2:1. That tracks the state average closely. An estimated 70% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Matthew Gage Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 37.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.5%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Riverside County) records that median household earnings sit near $93,074, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Riverside County's 543 public schools (combined enrollment of about 424,872 students), Matthew Gage Middle is one campus in the mix.

Raincross High (Continuation) is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Matthew Gage Middle. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Matthew Gage Middle ranks 4th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 40.5%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 19%: 1,033 students in 2018 compared to 840 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 23.6:1 in 2018 to 21.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.