Is Paul L. Cato Middle a good school?

Paul L. Cato Middle ranks 1004 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paul L. Cato Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 654 students attended Paul L. Cato Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Paul L. Cato Middle?

Students at Paul L. Cato Middle are 70% Hispanic, 21% White, 3% Asian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Paul L. Cato Middle

Summary:

Paul L. Cato Middle is a public middle school in Bakersfield, California, serving 629 students in grades 6-8. The school consistently outperforms the Bakersfield City School District and the state of California in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas, with particularly strong performance among its Hispanic and English Language Learner student populations.

Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 56.92% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Paul L. Cato Middle maintains strong academic performance, suggesting effective teaching and learning practices. The school's ability to improve its chronic absenteeism rate from 37.6% in 2021-2022 to 16.7% in 2022-2023 is also noteworthy, as this is a common challenge for many schools in the Bakersfield City School District.

Compared to nearby middle schools in the Bakersfield City School District, such as Emerson Middle, Abraham Lincoln Junior High, and Sierra Middle, Paul L. Cato Middle outperforms them in both academic performance and student group rankings. However, Chipman Junior High and Walter Stiern Middle show stronger academic performance in certain areas, suggesting that Paul L. Cato Middle may benefit from additional teaching resources to further support its students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

4115 Vineland Rd.
Bakersfield, CA 93306-2835

(661) 631-5245

District: Bakersfield City

SchoolDigger Rank:
1004^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,032

Student/teacher ratio: 23.4

Number of students: 654

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.5%

White:

21.4%

Asian:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.2%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Paul L. Cato Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Paul L. Cato Middle ranks better than 63.8% of middle schools in California. It also ranks first among 10 ranked middle schools in the Bakersfield City School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.34. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.5%), White (21.4%), Asian (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Bakersfield City School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paul L. Cato Middle is 23.4. 8 middle schools in the Bakersfield City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Paul L. Cato Middle employs 27.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paul L. Cato Middle is $7,032. 8 middle schools in the Bakersfield City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Paul L. Cato Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Paul L. Cato Middle 1004^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Paul L. Cato Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bakersfield City:

SchoolDigger ranks Bakersfield City 1338^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Paul L. Cato Middle

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Rank History for all students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2017	51.72	1056^th	2508	57.9%
2018	48.43	1126^th	2480	54.6%
2019	40.99	1414^th	2715	47.9%
2022	43.39	1356^th	2740	50.5%
2023	54.47	1045^th	2802	62.7%
2024	55.34	1004^th	2777	63.8%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.85	411^th	678	39.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.27	889^th	1364	34.8%
2019	28.93	1180^th	1442	18.2%
2022	40.41	745^th	1540	51.6%
2023	42.95	657^th	1529	57.0%
2024	40.61	709^th	1477	52.0%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.25	651^st	1538	57.7%
2024	48.95	585^th	1550	62.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.80	890^th	2230	60.1%
2019	39.91	1333^rd	2369	43.7%
2022	37.41	1424^th	2458	42.1%
2023	46.13	1151^st	2549	54.8%
2024	49.06	1073^rd	2575	58.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.00	1065^th	2262	52.9%
2019	40.96	1291^st	2380	45.8%
2022	40.65	1323^rd	2509	47.3%
2023	52.12	1006^th	2547	60.5%
2024	52.24	999^th	2546	60.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.50	871^st	1369	36.4%
2019	32.82	940^th	1491	37.0%
2022	37.96	825^th	1531	46.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	47.09	1072^nd	2273	52.8%
2019	39.40	1330^th	2407	44.7%
2022	45.75	1168^th	2527	53.8%
2023	55.08	932^nd	2558	63.6%
2024	56.19	896^th	2547	64.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	34.46	404^th	643	37.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.07	763^rd	2072	63.2%
2019	47.04	1021^st	2213	53.9%
2022	50.89	968^th	2359	59.0%
2023	62.94	671^st	2391	71.9%
2024	66.40	582^nd	2383	75.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.69	605^th	1496	59.6%
2019	51.85	756^th	1602	52.8%
2022	54.01	696^th	1555	55.2%
2023	59.79	586^th	1552	62.2%
2024	42.09	864^th	1535	43.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Paul L. Cato Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	102	26	23	555	8	1	10	725
2016	137	38	25	715	13	1	15	944
2017	153	32	28	729	11	1	16	970
2018	154	28	27	718	5	0	17	949
2019	164	32	19	749	3	0	21	988
2020	154	29	23	644	4	0	21	875
2021	141	21	23	663	3	1	22	874
2022	141	29	25	684	4	2	21	906
2023	105	21	24	459	1	1	18	629
2024	140	14	22	461	4	0	13	654

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Paul L. Cato Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	725	30.0	24.1	72.1
2016	944	36.0	26.2	71.9
2017	970	37.7	25.6	73
2018	949	36.0	26.2	73.7
2019	988	36.9	26.7	72.8
2020	875	n/a	n/a	74.7
2021	874	35.6	24.5	76.8
2022	906	38.5	23.5	59.7
2023	629	24.6	25.5	56.9
2024	654	27.8	23.4	68.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Paul L. Cato Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	725	30.0	24.1	72.1
2016	944	36.0	26.2	71.9
2017	970	37.7	25.6	73
2018	949	36.0	26.2	73.7
2019	988	36.9	26.7	72.8
2020	875	n/a	n/a	74.7
2021	874	35.6	24.5	76.8
2022	906	38.5	23.5	59.7
2023	629	24.6	25.5	56.9
2024	654	27.8	23.4	68.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Paul L. Cato Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,032

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul L. Cato Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1414^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1045^th of 2802 Middle schools	14.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Paul L. Cato Middle)	34.5	40.8	6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Bakersfield City)	32.6	26.7	5.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Cato Middle)	24.4	27.2	2.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bakersfield City)	20.6	13.8	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Paul L. Cato Middle)	54.2	50	4.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Bakersfield City)	37.1	28.9	8.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Cato Middle)	29.8	32.7	2.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Bakersfield City)	18.8	13.8	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Paul L. Cato Middle)	49.5	49.6	0.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Bakersfield City)	33.4	26.7	6.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Paul L. Cato Middle)	24.6	31.4	6.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Bakersfield City)	17.9	10	8%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Paul L. Cato Middle)	23.5	27.9	4.4%
8th Grade Science (Bakersfield City)	15.3	14	1.3%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	988	629	36.3%
African American	32	21	34.4%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	19	24	26.3%
Hispanic	749	459	38.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	164	105	36%
Two or More Races	21	18	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.8%	56.9%	15.9%

Schools Near Paul L. Cato Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Paul L. Cato Middle	Public	6-8	4115 Vineland Rd.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5245	654	28	23.4	68.2%	140 (21.4%)	14 (2.1%)	461 (70.5%)	22 (3.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.0%)	55.3	1004^th of 2777 public middle schools	63.8%		54.5	1045^th of 2802 public middle schools	62.7%	41		24.6	24.6		50.7	49.0	51.5	50.3		32.1	28.4	36.8	32.3	$7,032
Walter Stiern Middle	Public	6-8	2551 Morning Dr.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5480	783	36	21.5	91.7%	41 (5.2%)	29 (3.7%)	699 (89.3%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	17.5	2361^st of 2777 public middle schools	15.0%		22.7	2152^nd of 2802 public middle schools	23.2%	209		17.0	17.0		18.8	23.2	27.1	23.9		6.9	10.0	11.0	9.9	$7,586
Chipman Junior High	Public	7-8	2905 Eissler St.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5210	719	32	22.6	83.2%	113 (15.7%)	43 (6.0%)	539 (75.0%)	10 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	10 (1.4%)	41.2	1419^th of 2777 public middle schools	48.9%		36	1594^th of 2802 public middle schools	43.1%	175		23.3	23.3			41.7	45.9	43.8			18.9	24.3	21.6	$7,349
Edison Middle	Public	5-8	721 South Edison Rd.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Edison Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 366-8216	459	28	16.5	96.7%	36 (7.8%)	8 (1.7%)	400 (87.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)	25.7	2003^rd of 2777 public middle schools	27.9%		21.8	2191^st of 2802 public middle schools	21.8%	188	15.2	27.5	21.5	23.6	29.5	30.3	32.7	29.1	10.4	14.8	5.7	16.4	11.7	$12,262
Compton Junior High	Public	7-8	3211 Pico Ave.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5230	575	28	20.2	90.1%	49 (8.5%)	23 (4.0%)	495 (86.1%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	17.8	2345^th of 2777 public middle schools	15.6%		16.6	2446^th of 2802 public middle schools	12.7%	101		10.5	10.5			26.3	30.8	28.4			11.4	5.6	8.5	$7,957
Sierra Middle	Public	6-8	3017 Center St.	Bakersfield	93306	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5470	746	35	21.2	96.1%	19 (2.5%)	23 (3.1%)	689 (92.4%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	14.3	2498^th of 2777 public middle schools	10.0%		11.7	2637^th of 2802 public middle schools	5.9%	139		10.0	10.0		23.1	27.9	21.1	24.3		2.5	6.6	6.4	5.8	$7,233
Fairfax Junior High	Public	5-8	1500 South Fairfax Rd.	Bakersfield	93307	Kern County	Fairfax Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 366-4461	589	32	18.4	96.8%	26 (4.4%)	14 (2.4%)	529 (89.8%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.2%)	20.8	2225^th of 2777 public middle schools	19.9%		17.8	2389^th of 2802 public middle schools	14.7%	164		9.5	9.5			28.1	26.6	27.2			17.8	14.5	16.0	$4,972
Washington Middle	Public	6-8	1101 Noble Ave.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5810	657	28	23.8	93.6%	45 (6.8%)	45 (6.8%)	543 (82.6%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)	9.5	2676^th of 2777 public middle schools	3.6%		9.5	2715^th of 2802 public middle schools	3.1%	39		8.2	8.2		16.4	12.9	15.7	14.8		5.7	3.3	3.6	4.0	$8,149
Abraham Lincoln Junior High	Public	7-8	815 Eureka St.	Bakersfield	93305	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5950	498	27	18.7	95.6%	21 (4.2%)	39 (7.8%)	431 (86.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	9	2692^nd of 2777 public middle schools	3.1%		11	2675^th of 2802 public middle schools	4.5%	17		6.2	6.2			13.2	15.4	14.4			2.5	3.3	3.0	$8,461
Emerson Middle	Public	6-8	801 Fourth St.	Bakersfield	93304	Kern County	Bakersfield City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 631-5260	809	37	21.6	94.7%	48 (5.9%)	108 (13.3%)	620 (76.6%)	12 (1.5%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	12 (1.5%)	15.4	2456^th of 2777 public middle schools	11.6%		17.9	2378^th of 2802 public middle schools	15.1%	78		14.9	14.9		16.8	25.9	26.3	23.8		5.2	6.8	5.6	5.9	$7,976

Paul L. Cato Middle

Paul L. Cato Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Bakersfield City:

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Rank History for Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for all students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Female students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Male students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for African American students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Rank History for White students at Paul L. Cato Middle

Enrollment information for Paul L. Cato Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Paul L. Cato Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Paul L. Cato Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Paul L. Cato Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul L. Cato Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Paul L. Cato Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul L. Cato Middle

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