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Alumni: what's one memory from Pioneer Middle that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
971
Middle
DISTRICT 759 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·TUSTIN UNIFIED·NCES 064015008250
Pioneer Middle
2700 Pioneer Rd., Tustin, CA 92782 · (714) 730-7534 · Orange County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE13-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL971 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 87% of California public middle schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public middle schools
Student : Teacher
26.3:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.4:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
39%
383 students
DISTRICT 56% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 302 | 31% |
| Grade 7 | 347 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 322 | 33% |
Student demographics
72%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
70.6%
CA avg 49.1% . +6.6pp since 2014
Math
62.1%
CA avg 37.7% . -0.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 71 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 62 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 7 points since 2014, while math scores have held steady.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 35.7% | 34.9% | 17.9% | 11.5% |
| Math | 43.6% | 18.5% | 21.8% | 16.1% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 70.6% | 62.1% |
| 2023-24 | 73.7% | 62.1% |
| 2022-23 | 72.3% | 61.2% |
| 2021-22 | 73.2% | 59.0% |
| 2018-19 | 70.5% | 65.9% |
| 2017-18 | 73.6% | 67.0% |
| 2016-17 | 75.0% | 65.7% |
| 2015-16 | 73.0% | 67.0% |
| 2014-15 | 64.0% | 63.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
67.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
56.4%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.7pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 67% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Pioneer Middle
Pioneer Middle's state test result (67.1% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Middle this school | 971 | 39.4% | 67.1% |
| Presidio Middle San Francisco | 992 | 40.1% | 61.4% |
| Brea Junior High Brea | 921 | 37.9% | 63.8% |
| Creekside Middle Castro Valley | 754 | 39.1% | 68.5% |
| Canyon Middle Castro Valley | 1,418 | 40.7% | 54.6% |
| D. Russell Parks Junior High Fullerton | 854 | 47.7% | 66.8% |
Matched among California middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Pioneer Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Orange County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 67.1% | #152 of 1,224 | #25 of 85 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 62.1% | #161 of 1,227 ▼ 18 | #26 of 85 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 70.6% | #173 of 1,227 ▼ 48 | #28 of 85 ▼ 6 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +0.2pp | #832 of 1,214 | #61 of 84 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 971 | #227 of 1,377 | #16 of 88 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 26.3:1 | #1,228 of 1,279 | #83 of 87 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 72.0% | #75 of 1,278 | #4 of 87 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 39.4% | #1,053 of 1,329 | #60 of 88 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -24.3% | #227 of 930 | #32 of 74 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
971
-26 (-3%) vs 2020
+87% since 2000-01, when it was 518
Student : Teacher
26.3:1
was 26.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 971 | 36.9 | 26.3:1 | 39% (383) |
| 2023-24 | 941 | 35.2 | 26.8:1 | 35% (326) |
| 2022-23 | 881 | 32.3 | 27.3:1 | 24% (209) |
| 2020-21 | 997 | 37 | 26.9:1 | 21% (211) |
| 2017-18 | 1,282 | 43.5 | 29.5:1 | 18% (237) |
| 2015-16 | 1,286 | 44 | 29.2:1 | 13% (171) |
| 2010-11 | 1,329 | N/A | N/A | 10% (131) |
| 2000-01 | 518 | 17 | 30.5:1 | 2% (10) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Pioneer Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 24% (1,282 to 971); teachers down 15% (43.5 to 36.9).
About Pioneer Middle
In Tustin, California, part of Orange County, Pioneer Middle is a middle school. Enrollment stands at 971 students, covering grades 6 through 8. That is 47% above the average of about 659 students for middle schools in California.
The district, Tustin Unified, operates 28 schools serving 21,220 students.
Of every 100 students at Pioneer Middle, about 39 are Asian, the largest group. The school is also 28% Hispanic, 19% White, 11% multiracial, and 2% Black. That is higher than the 22% Asian share among all Orange County residents. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 72%.
On staff are 36.9 full-time-equivalent teachers; the student-to-teacher ratio is 26.3:1. The average for middle schools in California is 20.7:1, so this school has more students per teacher. About 39% of students at Pioneer Middle are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Orange County average 55%.
Pioneer Middle holds an A allk12 Grade, placing it above 87% of California public middle schools.
Test results at Pioneer Middle are 10.7 points above what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (67.1% actual, 56.4% predicted).
Looking at the county, Orange County, the median household earns about $116,289 a year, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 44%, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. Orange County has 649 public schools with about 430,458 students, including Pioneer Middle.
Pioneer Middle is about 0.3 miles from Peters Canyon Elementary, its nearest public school. Pioneer Middle has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts Pioneer Middle at 8th of 9.
The school's federal locale classification is City: Small.
Since 2020-21, enrollment has fallen 3%, from 997 to 971.
People can post here about special education services, counseling, and support programs and other school topics. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Orange County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,165,820
Census ACS
Median income
$116,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
649
430,458 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Tustin Unified
- Arnold O. Beckman HighHigh · 2,776 students
- Foothill HighHigh · 2,126 students
- Tustin HighHigh · 1,627 students
- Orchard HillsElementary · 1,373 students
- Sycamore Magnet AcademyElementary · 1,085 students
- Legacy Magnet AcademyHigh · 964 students
Other schools in Tustin
- Tustin HighHigh · 1,627 students
- Sycamore Magnet AcademyElementary · 1,085 students
- Legacy Magnet AcademyHigh · 964 students
- Columbus Tustin MiddleMiddle · 583 students
- Heritage ElementaryElementary · 567 students
- C. E. Utt MiddleMiddle · 554 students
Other Pioneer Middle schools
9 other US public schools in 5 states are named Pioneer Middle. Pioneer Middle is the 2nd largest of the 10.
- Pioneer MiddlePorterville, CA · 754 students
- Pioneer MiddleHanford, CA · 550 students
- PIONEER MIDDLE SCHOOLCOOPER CITY, FL · 1,453 students
- Pioneer Middle SchoolPLYMOUTH, MI · 827 students
- Pioneer MiddleDuPont, WA · 758 students
Nearby schools
- Peters Canyon Elementary0.3 mi · 399
- Ladera Elementary0.4 mi · 345
- Myford Elementary1.0 mi · 542
- Orchard Hills1.1 mi · 1,373
- Red Hill Elementary1.3 mi · 436
- Tustin Memorial Elementary1.3 mi · 613
Frequently asked questions
About Pioneer MiddleHow many students attend Pioneer Middle?
Pioneer Middle enrolls approximately 971 students in grades 06-08.
Is Pioneer Middle an elementary, middle, or high school?
Pioneer Middle is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Middle?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Pioneer Middle is approximately 26.3:1 (37 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Pioneer Middle?
Pioneer Middle reports a student body of 19% White, 28% Hispanic, 2% Black, 39% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Who oversees Pioneer Middle?
Pioneer Middle is overseen by Tustin Unified in Orange County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.