Skip to main content

Public middle school · Pasadena Unified · Pasadena, California

Octavia E. Butler Magnet

Octavia E. Butler Magnet rates 8.1, above the middle of Pasadena Unified's middle schools, whose rated median is 7.5.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.1this school

8.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Pasadena Unified median is 7.5.

#1,146 of 9,557 schools in California · Pasadena Unified: 3 middle schools rated, median 7.5

The brief

A Pasadena Unified middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

It ranks 1,146 of 9,557 schools in California and 2 of 23 in Pasadena Unified.

Octavia E. Butler Magnet is listed in Pasadena Unified, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math22%14 points below the California average of 36%2025 CAASPP
Reading37%12 points below the California average of 49%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 12 points since 2019, reaching 30% in 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
9.7
40% of the rating
Academics
5.7
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.8
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 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 18% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 27% (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 91103; 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Octavia E. Butler Magnet 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
$84,683
Median home value
$960,000
Median rent
$1,925/mo
College educated
37.7%
Homeownership
46.6%
Poverty rate
18.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 91103; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
58
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
44
Some Transit
Bike Score
64
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,771/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Pasadena. 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 (Pasadena), 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.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
82.1%
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. Octavia E. Butler Magnetthis school
    8.1
  3. 7.9Compare →
  4. 7.5Compare →
  5. 7.4Compare →
  6. 6.8Compare →
  7. 6.0Compare →
  8. 4.8Compare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and one rates higher than Octavia E. Butler Magnet.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.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Octavia E. Butler Magnet serve?

Octavia E. Butler Magnet serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Octavia E. Butler Magnet?

Octavia E. Butler Magnet has an enrollment of approximately 519 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Octavia E. Butler Magnet?

The student-teacher ratio at Octavia E. Butler Magnet is 19.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Octavia E. Butler Magnet rank in CA?

Octavia E. Butler Magnet ranks #1,146 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Octavia E. Butler Magnet's MySchoolScout rating?

Octavia E. Butler Magnet has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.1 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 Octavia E. Butler Magnet?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Octavia E. Butler Magnet has 18% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 27% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Octavia E. Butler Magnet a charter school?

No, Octavia E. Butler Magnet is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Octavia E. Butler Magnet a Title I school?

No, Octavia E. Butler Magnet is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Octavia E. Butler Magnet?

82.1% of students at Octavia E. Butler Magnet 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
519
Student-teacher ratio
19.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
27
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Los Angeles County
Rank in district
#2 of 23
Schools in district
23
District spending per student
$21,565
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 91103)
24,910
Area average commute
28.1 min
Area median age
39.9

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.