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Public middle school · Santa Cruz City High · Santa Cruz, California

Branciforte Middle

Branciforte Middle rates 8.3, right at the middle of Santa Cruz City High's middle schools, whose rated median is 8.3.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.3this school

8.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Santa Cruz City High median is 8.3.

#849 of 9,557 schools in California · Santa Cruz City High: 2 middle schools rated, median 8.3

The brief

A Santa Cruz City High middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

Students at Branciforte Middle score 50% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 52%).

It ranks 849 of 9,557 schools in California and 1 of 9 in Santa Cruz City High.

Math40%4 points above the California average of 36%2025 CAASPP
Reading60%11 points above the California average of 49%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has held near 50% across the 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 38 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.5
40% of the rating
Academics
7.2
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.9
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 95062; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Branciforte Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$108,261
Median home value
$1,064,600
Median rent
$2,291/mo
College educated
50.7%
Homeownership
53.6%
Poverty rate
13.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95062; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
71
Very Walkable
Transit Score
44
Some Transit
Bike Score
100
Biker's Paradise
City reported crime
3,038/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Santa Cruz. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Santa Cruz), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
42.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.5Compare →
  2. Branciforte Middlethis school
    8.3
  3. 8.2Compare →
  4. 7.1Compare →
  5. 7.0Compare →
  6. 6.1Compare →
  7. 5.8Compare →
  8. 5.2Compare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and one rates higher than Branciforte Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Branciforte Middle serve?

Branciforte Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Branciforte Middle?

Branciforte Middle has an enrollment of approximately 435 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Branciforte Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Branciforte Middle is 19.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Branciforte Middle rank in CA?

Branciforte Middle ranks #849 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Branciforte Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Branciforte Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Branciforte Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Branciforte Middle has 41% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Branciforte Middle a charter school?

No, Branciforte Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Branciforte Middle a Title I school?

No, Branciforte Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Branciforte Middle?

42.8% of students at Branciforte Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
435
Student-teacher ratio
19.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Santa Cruz County
Rank in district
#1 of 9
Schools in district
9
District spending per student
Not available
The source marked this value as not applicable.
District child poverty rate
8.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 95062)
36,047
Area average commute
22.6 min
Area median age
42.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.