Southridge Tech Middle, Fontana CA

Original Research by School Decision on Southridge Tech Middle

Southridge Tech Middle is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Fontana, a large, growing industrial and logistics hub in San Bernardino County. The school sits in a community where the vast majority of students come from economically disadvantaged households and where a substantial proportion are Hispanic, creating a peer environment that is deeply rooted in working-class families navigating the Inland Empire's truck-dependent economy and residential growth.

The school's academic performance, measured against California's state assessments, shows meaningful weakness in mathematics and science across all three grade levels. In math, proficiency rates decline noticeably as students progress through the grades, starting below one-third in sixth grade and falling to below one-fifth by eighth grade. Science proficiency at the eighth-grade level hovers around one-quarter of students. English language arts presents a somewhat stronger picture, particularly by eighth grade where proficiency approaches one-half of students, though sixth- and seventh-grade performance in ELA remains modest. Across all tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among the county's middle schools, a position that reflects the fact that many districts in San Bernardino County face comparable challenges. The most recent data available is from the 2024-25 school year; earlier state assessments are not provided, so the direction and pace of change cannot be assessed.

The school's name implies a focus on technology and technical learning, but the payload contains no detailed program information, course offerings, or specifics about how the school deploys its curriculum. This is a gap worth exploring directly with the school if you are considering enrollment. What technical pathways exist, how they connect to subsequent high school programs, and whether the school's stated technology emphasis is reflected in visible course offerings and resources are all questions a parent should bring to the administration.

Fontana Unified's community context is one of rapid growth, significant industrial presence, and a young, family-heavy population. The district is undergoing substantial facility investment following the November 2024 passage of a bond measure dedicated to classroom modernization, career and technical education expansion, and infrastructure repair. That bond may influence Southridge's future resource environment. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to California state benchmarks, though rents represent a meaningful share of household income. The school itself serves a student body where over four-fifths qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, underscoring that this is a school where economic support and accessible programs are essential to meeting student needs.

The question for a prospective family is whether Southridge Tech Middle's position as a mid-county performer, paired with its apparent technology focus and location in a growing city, creates an environment suited to your child's needs. The weaker mathematics outcomes, especially in eighth grade, and the absence of visible detail about program quality or staffing are concerns worth investigating. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about its math support structures, course design in technology, pathways to high school, and how the recent bond investments are being deployed at this campus.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 24%

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

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 39% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 21% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolFontana 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-income36%Higher-income40%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income49%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income52%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income28%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income29%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income16%Higher-income20%4 pp gap