Maxwell Middle

Maxwell Middle is a rural-scale junior high in Maxwell, California, part of Maxwell Unified. The school instructs 90 students in grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 86% below the state mean of about 659.

Across the 3 schools in Maxwell Unified (331 students total), Maxwell Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Maxwell Middle logs that 53% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder looks like 44% White, 2% Native American. By comparison, Colusa County as a whole is about 63% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably less Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 20.1:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 69% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Colusa County (around 78%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Maxwell Middle falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 39.2%; this one comes in at 24.4%, -14.8 points off the demographic line.

In the area at large, Colusa County reports that the typical household earns roughly $75,672 per year, 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Colusa County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,732 students), of which Maxwell Middle is one.

The closest other public school is Maxwell Elementary, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Maxwell Middle ranks 4th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 27.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Maxwell Middle has climbed 27%, going from 71 students in 2018 to 90 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 46% to 53% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 29.3:1 in 2018 to 20.1:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.