Warren F. Frisbie Middle, Rialto CA

Original Research by School Decision on Warren F. Frisbie Middle

Warren F. Frisbie Middle is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Rialto, a mixed residential and industrial city in the Inland Empire. The school enrolls roughly a thousand students, the majority of whom are Latino, with a substantial share of African American students and very small numbers of other groups. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that shapes the school's context and resource demands.

Academic performance at Frisbie is significantly below state averages across tested subjects. In English language arts, students show uneven results by grade: sixth graders reach proficiency at around the level of a quarter of the cohort, seventh graders perform somewhat better at close to two-fifths, and eighth graders drop to around a fifth. Mathematics proficiency is much lower. Sixth graders achieve proficiency at roughly fifteen percent, seventh graders at just under fourteen percent, and eighth graders at less than eight percent. Science proficiency, tested only in eighth grade, sits at just over ten percent. When these results are averaged across the school, the overall proficiency index places Frisbie in the bottom quartile among the districts in San Bernardino County. A parent looking at these numbers should understand that the school faces substantial academic challenges and may want to ask the school directly about what interventions are in place, how the staff approaches skill gaps in mathematics particularly, and what supports are available for students who enter middle school significantly below grade level.

Rialto is growing actively within the broader Inland Empire expansion, with new housing projects underway and industrial warehouse development tied to regional logistics growth. The housing market is accessible by regional standards; median home values are moderate, and rental costs are relatively stable. Roughly two-thirds of households own their homes, and the city blends ranch-style and Spanish Revival residential neighborhoods with townhouses and tree-lined streets. The Rialto Unified School District, which operates Frisbie, is the city's largest employer. The community recently approved a major bond measure in 2022 to overhaul school facilities, funding improvements to fire and safety systems, classroom spaces, drinking water infrastructure, and removal of hazards such as asbestos and lead paint. The district also shifted to trustee-area elections beginning in 2022, changing how board representation works. Transit is available via Metrolink and local bus service, and the city has parks, civic centers, and a performing arts theater.

Frisbie's peer environment reflects the demographics of Rialto itself: a predominantly Latino student body, high economic need, and a working-class community with strong connections to logistics, manufacturing, and warehouse employment. The school is one of many campuses across the district rather than a focal point of the downtown area.

Data on special populations such as students receiving special education services or English learners was not available, which would help a parent understand the school's composition more fully. A parent considering Frisbie should ask the school about class sizes, the availability of tutoring or intervention programs, and how the school is working to raise proficiency, particularly in mathematics where results are especially low.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 23% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 21% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 18% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 40% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 43% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 41% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 20% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 39% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolRialto 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-income27%Higher-income49%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income58%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income41%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income27%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income23%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income7%Higher-income16%9 pp gap