Is Independence High a good school?

Independence High ranks 1119 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 169 students attended Independence High.

What is the racial makeup of Independence High?

Students at Independence High are 45% White, 35% Hispanic, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Independence High

Summary:

Independence High is a public high school located in Brentwood, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 140 students. The school is part of the Liberty Union High School District, which is ranked 682 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independence High has consistently ranked in the lower half of California high schools, with its academic performance on standardized tests generally below the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 53.95% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 60.35% for the Liberty Union High district and 55.73% for the state. The school's performance in mathematics and science also lags behind the district and state. Additionally, Independence High has had fluctuating four-year graduation rates, ranging from 48.5% to 84.0% in recent years, and a very high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching as high as 70.1% in 2020-2021.

The data reveals a stark contrast between Independence High and the nearby schools within the same district, such as Freedom High and Heritage High, which consistently outperform Independence High across various metrics. The high rates of chronic absenteeism and the school's small size and designation as a continuation high school may be contributing factors to its challenges. Additionally, the performance disparities between different student subgroups at Independence High, particularly for students with special needs and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, raise concerns about equity and the school's ability to provide equal educational opportunities for all students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

929 Second St.
Brentwood, CA 94513-1137

(925) 634-2589

District: Liberty Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1119^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,903

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 169

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.0%

Hispanic:

34.9%

African American:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.6%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Independence High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence High ranks better than 51.8% of high schools in California. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked high schools in the Liberty Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.34. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Independence High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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: White (45%), Hispanic (34.9%), African American (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence High is 14, which is the 2^nd best among 5 high schools in the Liberty Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Independence High employs 12 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence High is $13,903, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 high schools in the Liberty Union High School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence High:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence High 1119^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Independence High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Liberty Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty Union High 682^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Independence High

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Rank History for all students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	32.60	873^rd	1653	47.2%
2005	29.72	1060^th	1901	44.2%
2006	26.29	1206^th	1968	38.7%
2007	31.07	1106^th	2063	46.4%
2008	32.55	1109^th	2117	47.6%
2009	48.25	786^th	2238	64.9%
2010	35.49	1120^th	2281	50.9%
2011	35.03	1176^th	2367	50.3%
2012	29.93	1294^th	2354	45.0%
2013	34.71	1189^th	2426	51.0%
2015	38.55	1202^nd	1994	39.7%
2016	38.72	1210^th	2039	40.7%
2017	22.53	1472^nd	2021	27.2%
2018	34.74	1314^th	2017	34.9%
2019	36.21	1308^th	2133	38.7%
2022	39.82	1183^rd	2123	44.3%
2023	36.03	1249^th	2348	46.8%
2024	40.34	1119^th	2323	51.8%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.02	1010^th	1534	34.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.61	1127^th	1862	39.5%
2019	36.32	1237^th	1937	36.1%
2022	31.74	1316^th	1943	32.3%
2023	27.71	1473^rd	2247	34.4%
2024	28.19	1472^nd	2235	34.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.32	1215^th	1760	31.0%
2019	26.39	1340^th	1833	26.9%
2022	29.66	1283^rd	1858	30.9%
2023	27.61	1388^th	2118	34.5%
2024	48.97	847^th	2098	59.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.48	1241^st	1834	32.3%
2019	40.04	1079^th	1880	42.6%
2022	50.26	825^th	1916	56.9%
2023	44.91	922^nd	2207	58.2%
2024	25.37	1454^th	2172	33.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.32	1201^st	1742	31.1%
2019	25.85	1319^th	1814	27.3%
2022	51.66	793^rd	1861	57.4%
2023	42.27	1049^th	2142	51.0%
2024	30.23	1367^th	2125	35.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Independence High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.41	959^th	1173	18.2%
2019	23.45	960^th	1222	21.4%
2022	14.22	1049^th	1204	12.9%
2023	16.25	1149^th	1434	19.9%
2024	26.62	967^th	1406	31.2%

See the entire list of Best California High 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 Independence High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	149	5	1	107	2	n/a	n/a	0	264
2002	222	13	12	127	2	n/a	n/a	0	376
2003	222	13	12	127	2	n/a	n/a	0	376
2004	237	15	7	134	2	n/a	n/a	0	395
2005	239	21	8	151	6	n/a	n/a	1	426
2006	208	30	18	116	0	n/a	n/a	8	380
2007	211	30	17	146	8	n/a	n/a	6	418
2008	184	32	21	115	6	n/a	n/a	0	358
2009	201	52	17	123	5	4	0	0	402
2010	210	50	20	130	5	6	1	0	422
2011	216	53	15	155	4	0	6	0	449
2012	233	45	16	176	7	0	9	0	486
2013	229	41	6	157	5	0	6	0	444
2014	169	45	14	140	6	0	11	0	385
2015	160	27	10	112	2	3	17	0	331
2016	152	26	6	127	3	1	13	0	328
2017	145	22	7	106	2	2	11	0	295
2018	123	25	8	77	4	2	13	0	252
2019	131	22	9	67	1	4	16	0	250
2020	105	14	6	69	2	1	5	0	202
2021	87	12	3	66	1	2	8	0	179
2022	83	13	8	57	0	3	11	1	176
2023	63	11	4	46	1	2	12	1	140
2024	76	13	6	59	4	1	10	0	169

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 Independence High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	264	2.8	94.3	0
2002	376	3.0	125.3	0
2003	376	3.0	125.3	0
2004	395	2.5	158.0	0
2005	426	2.5	170.4	0
2006	380	5.5	69.1	0
2007	418	5.5	76.0	0.2
2008	358	12.8	28.0	12.3
2009	402	10.7	29.1	22.4
2010	422	10.7	39.2	21.1
2011	449	n/a	n/a	0.7
2012	486	7.7	62.7	n/a
2013	444	5.7	77.2	15.3
2014	385	10.8	35.6	16.4
2015	331	13.0	25.4	21.1
2016	328	15.0	21.8	22.3
2017	295	14.3	20.6	20
2018	252	14.1	17.8	28.2
2019	250	11.8	21.1	21.2
2020	202	n/a	n/a	24.8
2021	179	11.6	15.3	27.9
2022	176	11.8	14.9	26.7
2023	140	12.5	11.1	33.6
2024	169	12.0	14.0	29.6

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 Independence High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	264	2.8	94.3	0
2002	376	3.0	125.3	0
2003	376	3.0	125.3	0
2004	395	2.5	158.0	0
2005	426	2.5	170.4	0
2006	380	5.5	69.1	0
2007	418	5.5	76.0	0.2
2008	358	12.8	28.0	12.3
2009	402	10.7	29.1	22.4
2010	422	10.7	39.2	21.1
2011	449	n/a	n/a	0.7
2012	486	7.7	62.7	n/a
2013	444	5.7	77.2	15.3
2014	385	10.8	35.6	16.4
2015	331	13.0	25.4	21.1
2016	328	15.0	21.8	22.3
2017	295	14.3	20.6	20
2018	252	14.1	17.8	28.2
2019	250	11.8	21.1	21.2
2020	202	n/a	n/a	24.8
2021	179	11.6	15.3	27.9
2022	176	11.8	14.9	26.7
2023	140	12.5	11.1	33.6
2024	169	12.0	14.0	29.6

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 Independence High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,903

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High

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 1308^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1249^th of 2348 High schools	8.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Independence High)	29.8	46.8	17%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Liberty Union High)	69.3	62.4	6.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Independence High)	9.6	11.3	1.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Liberty Union High)	36.5	28.1	8.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Independence High)	13.4	18	4.6%
11th Grade Science (Liberty Union High)	38.4	31.3	7.1%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%
12th Grade Science (Independence High)	20.7	25	4.3%
12th Grade Science (Liberty Union High)	27.8	28.3	0.6%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.8	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	250	140	44%
African American	22	11	50%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	9	4	55.6%
Hispanic	67	46	31.3%
Pacific Islander	4	2	50%
White	131	63	51.9%
Two or More Races	16	12	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.2%	33.6%	12.4%

Schools Near Independence High

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 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Independence High	Public	9-12	929 Second St.	Brentwood	94513	Contra Costa County	Liberty Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 634-2589	169	12	14.0	29.6%	76 (45.0%)	13 (7.7%)	59 (34.9%)	6 (3.6%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	10 (5.9%)	40.3	1119^th of 2323 public high schools	51.8%		36	1249^th of 2348 public high schools	46.8%	130	21.1		19.8	54.0	54.0	9.2	9.2	$13,903
Liberty High	Public	9-12	850 Second St.	Brentwood	94513	Contra Costa County	Liberty Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 634-3521	2,773	131	21.2	21.9%	1,086 (39.2%)	215 (7.8%)	1,011 (36.5%)	258 (9.3%)	17 (0.6%)	18 (0.6%)	164 (5.9%)	59.2	656^th of 2323 public high schools	71.8%		61.9	621^st of 2348 public high schools	73.6%	35	25.8		25.6	63.8	63.8	27.4	27.4	$10,621
La Paloma High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	400 Ghiggeri Way	Brentwood	94513	Contra Costa County	Liberty Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 634-2888	148	12	12.3	47.3%	26 (17.6%)	19 (12.8%)	89 (60.1%)	3 (2.0%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.4%)	8 (5.4%)	10.8	1965^th of 2323 public high schools	15.4%		10.3	2042^nd of 2348 public high schools	13.0%	77	7.7		7.1	11.4	11.4	1.3	1.3	$13,956
Freedom High	Public	9-12	1050 Neroly Rd.	Oakley	94561	Contra Costa County	Liberty Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 625-5900	2,478	117	21.2	28.8%	566 (22.8%)	282 (11.4%)	1,189 (48.0%)	228 (9.2%)	8 (0.3%)	8 (0.3%)	185 (7.5%)	43.1	1047^th of 2323 public high schools	54.9%		49.1	885^th of 2348 public high schools	62.3%	162	21.2	0.0	20.8	53.7	53.7	14.5	14.5	$10,732
Heritage High	Public	9-12	101 American Ave.	Brentwood	94513	Contra Costa County	Liberty Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 634-0037	2,641	115	23.0	17.5%	827 (31.3%)	272 (10.3%)	727 (27.5%)	550 (20.8%)	11 (0.4%)	15 (0.6%)	230 (8.7%)	77.7	362^nd of 2323 public high schools	84.4%		81.3	302^nd of 2348 public high schools	87.1%	60	39.6		39.4	71.2	71.2	39.1	39.1	$10,183
Dozier-Libbey Medical High	Public	9-12	4900 Sand Creek Rd.	Antioch	94531	Contra Costa County	Antioch Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 779-7540	697	30	23.2	76.8%	92 (13.2%)	126 (18.1%)	326 (46.8%)	112 (16.1%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.4%)	27 (3.9%)	82	295^th of 2323 public high schools	87.3%		69.6	485^th of 2348 public high schools	79.3%	190	48.1		47.8	82.9	82.9	34.6	34.6	$6,802
Deer Valley High	Public	9-12	4700 Lone Tree Way	Antioch	94531	Contra Costa County	Antioch Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 779-7570	1,804	85	21.2	75.8%	158 (8.8%)	527 (29.2%)	724 (40.1%)	273 (15.1%)	8 (0.4%)	14 (0.8%)	93 (5.2%)	37.2	1205^th of 2323 public high schools	48.1%		48.1	911^th of 2348 public high schools	61.2%	294	17.7	35.3	18.5	47.6	47.6	12.7	12.7	$7,603
Bidwell Continuation High	Public	10-12	800 Gary Ave.	Antioch	94509	Contra Costa County	Antioch Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 779-7520	154	8	18.5	83.8%	11 (7.1%)	49 (31.8%)	69 (44.8%)	11 (7.1%)	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.6%)	11 (7.1%)	9.6	2054^th of 2323 public high schools	11.6%		9.8	2073^rd of 2348 public high schools	11.7%	19	4.0	0.0	3.5	11.7	11.7	1.3	1.3	$12,517
Live Oak High (Continuation)	Public	10-12	1708 F St.	Antioch	94509	Contra Costa County	Antioch Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 779-7440	148	8	18.1	81.1%	11 (7.4%)	42 (28.4%)	81 (54.7%)	5 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	6 (4.1%)	8.6	2129^th of 2323 public high schools	8.4%		9.5	2093^rd of 2348 public high schools	10.9%	36	1.4		1.3	12.9	12.9	0.0	0.0	$12,595
Antioch High	Public	9-12	700 West 18th St	Antioch	94509	Contra Costa County	Antioch Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 779-7550	1,823	84	21.6	85.7%	163 (8.9%)	345 (18.9%)	1,128 (61.9%)	83 (4.6%)	7 (0.4%)	24 (1.3%)	71 (3.9%)	25	1554^th of 2323 public high schools	33.1%		22.6	1629^th of 2348 public high schools	30.6%	75	14.8	13.6	14.7	33.3	33.3	8.9	8.9	$7,039

Independence High

Independence High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Liberty Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence High

Rank History for all students at Independence High

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence High

Rank History for Female students at Independence High

Rank History for Male students at Independence High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence High

Rank History for White students at Independence High

Enrollment information for Independence High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence High

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence High

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence High