Dallas Ranch Middle, Antioch CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Dallas Ranch Middle

Dallas Ranch Middle serves grades six through eight in Antioch, a large Contra Costa County city that has grown substantially as Bay Area residents have moved east seeking more affordable housing. The school sits on Mount Hamilton Drive and draws students primarily from the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

The student body reflects Antioch's demographics. Roughly two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is diverse by race and ethnicity, with substantial representation of Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. The school has a typical middle-grade enrollment for its setting, distributed across the three grades.

In academics, Dallas Ranch is performing well below proficiency benchmarks across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency rates fall in the low-to-mid range across all grades, with eighth-grade showing the highest share of proficient students. Mathematics proficiency is notably weak, with rates in the low double digits across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Science proficiency, measured at eighth grade, also sits in the low single digits. When compared to other districts across Contra Costa County, Dallas Ranch's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. State assessment data for only the current school year is available, so trend information over time is not yet available.

The school's performance occurs against a backdrop of significant strain on the broader district. Antioch Unified approved a major property-tax-funded bond (Measure B) in 2024 to address aging school buildings, which means homeowners in the area are now carrying a long-term tax obligation for facilities renovation. More immediately, the district is navigating a serious budget crisis. It authorized preliminary layoffs in early 2026 affecting teachers, paraeducators, custodians, and counseling staff, and the county downgraded the district's budget certification to negative in spring 2026, a shift from many years of positive standing. These fiscal pressures directly affect class sizes, staffing levels, and available support services at the school level. A parent considering Dallas Ranch should understand that the school operates within a district experiencing real financial turbulence that may reshape staffing and programming in the coming years.

The housing market in the 94531 zip code where the school is located reflects broader affordability pressures. Home values are below the state benchmark, and rents have ticked upward modestly. The area is car-dependent outside the historic Rivertown downtown, though the Antioch BART station on Highway 4 does provide regional transit access. Employment centers in Antioch cluster around health care (Sutter Delta Medical Center and Kaiser) and public sector jobs, with construction and retail also significant.

For a family considering Dallas Ranch, the reality is a school with low test results in a district facing budget headwinds and property-tax obligations. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school itself about intervention efforts, class structures, and how the district's fiscal situation is affecting instruction and support services on campus.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 12% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 713%

School 13% · District 11% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 23% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 25% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 27% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 15% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 43% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolAntioch Unified, 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-income22%Higher-income46%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income46%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income31%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income7%Higher-income25%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income20%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income14%4 pp gap