Joan Macqueen Middle, Alpine CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Joan Macqueen Middle

Joan MacQueen Middle is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Alpine, an unincorporated, car-oriented community in the foothills of eastern San Diego County. The school enrolls students across three grade levels, with the enrollment split roughly evenly among the grades.

The student body reflects Alpine's demographics: a majority white student population, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment, and smaller numbers of multiracial, Native American, and Black students. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity.

State testing results from the most recent school year show proficiency across math and English language arts, with some variation by grade. In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate hovers near the midpoint of what California districts report. Math proficiency is lower, with students in sixth and seventh grade showing somewhat better performance than eighth graders. Eighth grade science proficiency was notably low. A parent may want to look into whether the school offers additional math and science support, particularly for students approaching or entering high school. The school sits below the midpoint in overall proficiency relative to other districts across San Diego County.

Alpine itself is a quiet, semi-rural community oriented toward single-family homes on large lots, with a small commercial core around Alpine Boulevard and Marshall Road. The town lacks dense walkability; pedestrians often face circuitous routes between disconnected areas. Major employers include the Viejas Casino & Resort and tribal government operations. A county library branch, a neighborhood community center with a playground and tennis court, and access to nearby national forest and mountain recreation areas provide civic anchors. Public transit is limited to a single MTS route connecting to El Cajon.

The Alpine Union Elementary School District, which operates Joan MacQueen Middle along with four other campuses, has faced sustained multi-year enrollment decline, a structural budget pressure families should weigh. In November 2024, voters rejected a school facilities bond that would have funded roof repairs and upgrades to aging electrical, heating, and air-conditioning systems across the district's schools, including Joan MacQueen. That defeat means those facility conditions remain unaddressed and no new local property-tax obligation was imposed on homeowners. Housing in the Alpine zip code is relatively expensive for the region, with median home values well above the state average and median rents rising modestly year over year.

Joan MacQueen serves as one anchor of the district's middle school program in a community with room for new development while maintaining its rural feel.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 31% · ▼ 1 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 41% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 47%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 46% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 26%

even with state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 866%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolAlpine Union Elementary, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income42%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income56%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income51%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income38%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income53%40 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income30%9 pp gap