Located in Modesto, CA. Serving grades 06 through 08.
Somerset Middle serves grades six through eight in Modesto, a mid-sized Central Valley city anchored by food and beverage processing, agriculture, and healthcare. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment reflects the broader community: a majority of students identify as Hispanic, followed by white, Asian, and other groups.
On state assessments, Somerset's proficiency rates sit below the midpoint among Stanislaus County's districts across tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, the school shows a modest upward trajectory across grade levels, with sixth graders at a lower proficiency rate and eighth graders at a higher one. Math proficiency is notably lower across all three grades, and science results at the eighth-grade level fall in the same range. These patterns suggest students enter the school with gaps that narrow somewhat in language arts by the time they leave but remain a challenge in mathematics. A parent may want to look into what targeted support or intervention the school offers in math, since that subject shows the steepest distance from proficiency benchmarks.
The data available for Somerset is limited in several respects. Special education enrollment numbers and English learner rates were not provided, so a reader cannot see whether the school serves a particularly high concentration of either population. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. No information on staffing, course offerings beyond athletics, or school climate measures is present. The school's website was not listed, which limits what can be learned about specific programs, supports, or priorities beyond the profile itself.
Modesto itself is car-dependent, though downtown is walkable and bike-friendly with cultural amenities, government centers, and parks within a compact area. Housing in the area has appreciated modestly and is priced above the national median but below California's state average. Food service, healthcare, and retail are major employment sectors; the local economy centers on large operations like Gallo Winery and Save Mart Supermarkets. The city has experienced a long housing shortage with limited construction after the 1990s, though new projects like The Crossings and the planned Tivoli development are underway. Transit is provided by Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, which operates multiple fixed routes with downtown and the mall as main hubs.
Somerset sits within Sylvan Union Elementary, the district serving Modesto and Riverbank. The district has not mounted a school bond measure in recent ballot cycles, unlike many neighboring Stanislaus County districts. No major curriculum adoptions or lasting strategic shifts emerged in public reporting, so there is little visible information about the district's recent direction or priorities beyond the data on the school itself.
For a family considering Somerset, the key question is whether the current proficiency levels and the trajectory they suggest fit their expectations and their child's starting point. The school's demographics and free-lunch eligibility rates align with Modesto's economic and ethnic composition. The low numbers in math warrant direct conversation with the school about what support exists and what results the school tracks for its interventions.
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
Officially reported figures, 2024-25.
All reported measures, by topic.
Listed on the school’s own website, not from federal or state data. This list may be partial or out of date.