My daughter attended 6th grade and is now in 7th grade at Benicia Middle School. We moved to Benicia last year from the East Coast, outside Philadelphia for a year and in MA for 4 years prior. I researched the Benicia schools and found them to be rated very high. Unfortunately our experience has not
... Read more been as great as I would have expected. There is no transportation (except public transportation) - thankfully we live close enough for my daughter to walk. The school offers very few extracurriculars -- I've heard the band (brass only) is a great program but my daughter plays the violin, the sports programs have tryouts and more than half the kids that tryout don't make the teams, electives are offered in the form of a class so kids can't join yearbook and learn Spanish, for example. Additionally they offer a limited amount of advanced Math classes. Read less
Posted by a parent on 10/26/09
The best thing about BMS is that all my children survived going there. The teachers all have a policy of accepting no late work; which is fine if your 11 - 13 year old has mastered time management. If she/he has not, this policy is devastating. It doesn't make sense to be so tough on young kids just
... Read more getting used to having multiple teachers since this policy doesn't follow through at the high school level. For many students, the no late work rule is simply punative. That said, the principal is a true leader, both at school and in the community. I would say about half of the teachers are exceptional and caring. Read less
Posted by a parent on 06/13/08
Fabulous music program. Great drama program. Growing art program. Stellar academics with fantastic teachers that care about kids. Parents are involved!
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Posted by a staff on 10/05/07
As a brand new parent of a new student at BMS, so far so good-- principal very positive, teachers great first impressions, atmosphere friendly and pleasant. That said, I am very concerned about the lack of transportation to and from school. It is very inconvenient for working parents and dangerous for
... Read more kids. I am also disappointed that there is no after school program: elective classes, study hall, intramural sports, etc. Such a short school day is not right when 2 parents work, and yet the kids are really too old for traditional day care. Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/24/07
The academic programs are fine - the history department seems to be the most well run and there are a number of different math classes available at various levels. Unfortunately, there is not a wide variety of extracurricular activities but recent increases in funding should move this in the right direction.
... Read more Lastly, parent involvement seems to be on the rise as well. What we (as parents) like most about the school, as well as my step-daughter, is the diversity and the feeling that my step-daughter can belong to a group of friends, the teachers are approachable and the principal is terrific! Read less
Posted by a parent on 02/20/07
My daughter has gone through BMS and had a very positive experience with the school. The teachers are for the most part very good, with only a few exceptions (true anywhere). My son is currently enrolled there, and also seems to be flourishing well. Sadly, most of the extra curricular school activities
... Read more have been cut in recent years, however there are many options in the community (music, art and sports)through other venues. One significant positive aspect my daughter experienced was the track program, which is well run and while only a limited part of the year, was something she got a lot out of. As with any school, you get what you give. Parents need to be on top of their kid's studies (and other activities) and not rely on others to do their parenting. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/25/07
If a child is going to get lost it's going to happen at Benicia Middle School. I'm a psychotherapist in Benicia and I've witnessed this for twenty years now. There is very little offered in the arts, and only people with money can have their kids play sports. Many people are turning to private schools
... Read more which only makes the situation worse. Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/19/05
The teachers my child had were wonderful and very willing to help out.
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Posted by a parent on 06/15/05
Benicia does not have a GATE program or any other differentiated curriculum until high school where advanced placement and honors classes are offered. The district is considering cutting the one elective they offer 7th and 8th grade. There are no counselors nor any maintenance staff. The teachers
... Read more still do not have a contract as of 8/04. Until recently, the school did not have many students in Algebra nor did the school offer geometry. Look to another community that offers more if you are looking to move. Check with district to see if they offer programs. The district has the lowest paid teachers and the lowest per student funding in the area hence the schools are $3-4 million short of their budget. Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/11/04
Besides the outstanding G.A.T.E. program there are little to no extracurricular activities. These are limited only to sports and even those are limited to only volleyball and basketball. Overall though, this school is one of the best in the county, so I send my children here.
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* In 2008-2009 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
Student enrollment:
1,224
Students per teacher:
20
Full-time teachers:
62
Number of classrooms:
65
Arts
Art
Music
Band, Choral
Fine Arts
Drama, Fine Arts
Special Education
Gifted Students, Speech/Language Pathologists
English
Journalism, Speech/Debate
Vocational Education
Phys Ed
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Benicia schools — Benicia Middle School is located at 1100 Southampton Rd, Benicia CA 94510. 1100 Southampton Rd is in the 94510 ZIP code in Benicia, CA The school district for Benicia Middle School is the Benicia Unified School District. Benicia Middle School is a Public school that serves grade levels 6 - 8.
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Test Score Ratings
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experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
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