Paulding Middle

600 Crown Hill St.
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

paulding.luciamarschools.org/

544 Students

Middle School 7th - 8th

School Overview

Paulding Middle School, located in Arroyo Grande, California, is a key component of the Lucia Mar Unified School District. Serving students in grades 7 and 8, the school is situated in a coastal community that emphasizes a supportive and inclusive environment. The campus is known for its commitment to academic growth, offering a curriculum designed to bridge the transition between elementary education and the more rigorous demands of high school. Beyond core academics, the school typically provides various elective opportunities and extracurricular activities intended to help students explore their interests and develop well-rounded skills.

The culture at Paulding Middle School is focused on fostering student character, community engagement, and personal responsibility. By utilizing a variety of instructional strategies and support systems, the staff aims to meet the diverse social and emotional needs of early adolescents. As part of the Arroyo Grande community, the school benefits from local partnerships and maintains a strong focus on preparing its student body for success in their future academic endeavors at the high school level and beyond.

544

Total Students

27.2

Full-Time Teachers

20.0

Student/Teacher Ratio

45.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Paulding Middle
Demographic	Student Count
White	270
Hispanic	211
Black	4
Asian	14
Two or More	42
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	1

White
270 (49.7%)
Hispanic
211 (38.9%)
Two or More
42 (7.7%)
Asian
14 (2.6%)
Black
4 (0.7%)
American Indian
1 (0.2%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.2%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Lucia Mar Unified
Phone:	(805)474-3500
Website:	http://paulding.luciamarschools.org/
Grade Range:	7th - 8th
Total Students:	544
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	27.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	20.0
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	191
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	58

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 7 262

Grade 8 282