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Below Average

#7619 of 9,539 schools in CA

Murray Middle

Middle School · Sierra Sands Unified · Ridgecrest, CA

A Sierra Sands Unified middle school where students score 17 points below what's typical for similar communities.

200 East Drummond Ave., Ridgecrest, CA 93555

  • Math 23% vs CA 34% (2024)
  • Reading 35% vs CA 47% (2024)
  • 22.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.2Average40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-1.69 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics4.5Below Average35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency23.2% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency34.8% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-11.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-11.1 pts
Overall Proficiency29% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)46% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-16.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile26th
Resources & Environment4.5Below Average25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio22.9:1
District spending per student$15,168
Chronic Absenteeism29.3%

Students at Murray Middle score 29% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 46%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency23%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
34%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency35%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
47%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 22 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 29% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
49%
ELA
53%
2010
Math
49%
ELA
54%
2011
Math
53%
ELA
60%
2012
Math
54%
ELA
61%
2014
Math
38%
ELA
58%
2015
Math
39%
ELA
50%
2016
Math
40%
ELA
54%
2017
Math
35%
ELA
47%
2018
Math
36%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
36%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
26%
ELA
41%
2021*
Math
26%
ELA
41%
2022
Math
24%
ELA
44%
2024
Math
23%
ELA
35%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 35% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 47% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

51%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Murray Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 25Car-Dependent
  • Bike 65Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,757/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Ridgecrest), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$84,141

Median home value

$235,400

Median rent

$1,180/mo

College educated

30.5%

Homeownership

62.7%

Poverty rate

12.1%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93555; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

2 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Immanuel Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition7.0privateK–110.9 mi82Compare →
James Monroe MiddleEnrollment path unverified4.36–81.4 mi542Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

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

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Sierra Sands Unified

Schools in district
11
Rank in district
#6 of 10
District spending per student
$15,168NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.2%Census SAIPE · 2024

Murray Middle is listed in Sierra Sands Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Murray Middle

Murray Middle is a public middle school in Ridgecrest, CA, part of Sierra Sands Unified, serving approximately 686 students in grades 6th-8th with a 22.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 out of 10 and ranks #7,619 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Murray Middle

What grades does Murray Middle serve?

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

How many students attend Murray Middle?

Murray Middle has an enrollment of approximately 686 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Murray Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Murray Middle is 22.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Murray Middle rank in CA?

Murray Middle ranks #7,619 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Murray Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Murray Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 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 Murray Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Murray Middle has 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Murray Middle a charter school?

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

Is Murray Middle a Title I school?

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

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

51.0% of students at Murray 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
686
Student-Teacher Ratio
22.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
30
Type
regular
Setting
Remote Town
County
Kern County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
29.3%
Area population (ZIP 93555)
33,629
Area average commute
16.3 min
Area median age
35.9
About this school's data

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

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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 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 · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · 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 93555; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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