El Segundo Middle, El Segundo CA

Original Research by School Decision on El Segundo Middle

El Segundo Middle serves approximately three-quarters of the middle grades across the city, drawing students from a mixed-income community where housing values are well above state and national benchmarks. The school's enrollment reflects the town's diversity: a plurality of white students, a substantial population of Hispanic students, and notable Asian representation, with roughly one student in ten qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

In English language arts, El Segundo Middle's students perform solidly across all three grades. Sixth graders reach proficiency at solid rates, seventh graders move ahead, and eighth graders reach strong proficiency levels, showing a pattern of growth through the middle years. Math proficiency climbs similarly, with sixth-grade results at a more modest level that lifts into the seventh and eighth grades. Science proficiency in eighth grade sits lower than the ELA and math results. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades ranks in the top quartile among middle schools in Los Angeles County, placing the school above the median and in stronger company.

The school occupies a regular public middle-school structure with no charter or magnet designation. Data on special education identification rates and English learner enrollment were not available. Staffing, attendance, discipline, and detailed course-access information were not provided, so a parent would want to reach out directly to the school if those details matter to their decision.

El Segundo Unified, the parent district, has recently become more visible in its commitment to STEM and AI integration. The district began a major AI Leadership and Literacy initiative in late 2023, engaging families through town halls and information nights before adopting a formal AI policy. Multiple schools in the district earned Project Lead The Way Distinguished recognition in the past two years, anchoring a K-12 STEM pathway with support from a business partnership. These are district-level strategic moves that shape the academic environment across all schools, including El Segundo Middle, though the narrative has centered on individual school buildings rather than the middle school specifically.

The town itself sits in a high-cost housing market. Purchase prices are steep, with mortgage costs well above income levels for most families, though the gap between rent and home purchase is more modest here than in some neighboring markets. The area shows some character as a coastal community with established residents and mid-level family wealth, though the search did not yield detail on downtown life, walkability, or major employers.

For a family considering El Segundo Middle, the case is straightforward: solid to strong academic results, especially in reading and writing, with a pattern of growth as students progress through middle grades; a school positioned well against its county peer group; and a district that is actively building out STEM and AI literacy infrastructure. The school is neither small nor large for its grade band. Housing costs are a primary real-world barrier to entry in this community rather than a school characteristic.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 772%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

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

Grade 779%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Science

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 77%

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

This schoolEl Segundo 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-income54%Higher-income78%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income67%Higher-income81%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income84%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income69%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income75%32 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income76%30 pp gap