Miller Creek Middle, San Rafael CA

Original Research by School Decision on Miller Creek Middle

Miller Creek Middle serves grades six through eight in San Rafael, drawing about six hundred students from a diverse residential community in Marin County. The school is a regular public school operated by the Miller Creek Elementary School District.

On state testing, Miller Creek's English language arts performance runs solidly above the middle among Marin County school districts. Across all grades, students show proficiency in the mid-to-upper range. Grade six performs strongest, while proficiency tapers somewhat by eighth grade. Mathematics performance sits notably lower, with sixth and seventh grades near the middle range and eighth grade falling below. Only about half of eighth graders meet state proficiency in math. Science proficiency in eighth grade, the only grade tested, sits below the middle as well. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint for the county's districts, reflecting stronger ELA standing offsetting softer math and science results.

The school's recent enrollment has stabilized at roughly six hundred, balanced across the three grades. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: a majority identify as white, with substantial representation from Hispanic students, multiracial students, and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander students. English learner and special education enrollment data were not available.

The Miller Creek district has undertaken two significant parent-relevant initiatives. Voters approved a general obligation bond funding modernization of aging classrooms, instructional technology upgrades, and specifically updated middle school science classrooms, along with electrical and safety code work. Families weighing a move into the district should note that this bond support is repaid through property taxes on district parcels. Separately, the district restructured Miller Creek Middle's mathematics program around the California Mathematics Framework, establishing three math pathways beginning in the 2022-23 school year. For families where math acceleration or placement flexibility matters, this pathway structure is worth exploring directly with the school, as pathway options and entry criteria vary.

Housing in the area is expensive. Median home values run roughly four times the national average, and rents are correspondingly high. Monthly mortgage estimates, assuming standard financing, exceed typical rent by several thousand dollars. Rental costs consume a substantial share of household income. These economics shape the overall community and affect which families the school serves.

Miller Creek Middle does not publish its attendance, discipline, or special populations data in formats readily available to parents. For a fuller picture of school climate, student support systems, and how the school works with students who have IEPs or are English learners, a parent may want to contact the school or district directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 61%

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

Grade 760%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 23 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 22 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 77% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolMiller Creek 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-income36%Higher-income81%45 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income71%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income73%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income69%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income66%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income65%47 pp gap