San Jose, a primary feeder school for nearby Novato High School, is a middle school with an enrollment of approximately 550 students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Located at the junction of Ignacio Boulevard and Sunset Parkway, near the entrance to the College of Marin's Indian Valley campus, it serves some of the city's southern areas that are off primary streets such as Ignacio Boulevard, Sunset Parkway and South Novato Boulevard. 

San Jose, actually one of a trio of middle schools in the Novato unified school district, scored 791 on the Academic Performance Index, making it the lowest among the three. The state recommended target score is 800.

The student body comprises 49.1 percent whites, 38.2 percent Hispanics, 4.9 percent black and 4.5 percent Asian American students. English language learners account for 24 percent of the student body, just above the district average of 21 percent.

The socioeconomic profile of the student body is below the district median; 40 percent of the students are considered socioeconomically challenged versus the 33 percent median citywide. Forty-eight percent of students' parents are college-educated, below the district average of 53 percent.