Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High

Located at 2121 Calaveras Ave., in Davis, California, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is a low-enrollment 6-8 campus that enrolls 524 students (grades 7 through 9), one of the schools within Davis Joint Unified. Enrollment runs roughly 20% smaller than the state mean of about 659.

Within Davis Joint Unified, which oversees 16 schools and 8,241 students, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High lists that 50% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder looks like 27% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 9% Asian, 3% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Yolo County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 19.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 20.7:1, putting Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 22% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Yolo County (around 59%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

With demographic context factored in, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 66.3%; this one delivers 69.9%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Yolo County put the typical household earns roughly $91,752 per year, 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Yolo County runs 67 public schools (combined enrollment of about 29,820 students), of which Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is one.

Patwin Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High at 5th of 6; the average score across the group is 69.5%.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High has expanded 14%, going from 460 students in 2018 to 524 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 55% to 50% across the same window. Class-load math has grew: from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 19.4:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.