Is Madera South High a good school?

Madera South High ranks 1226 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Madera South High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,855 students attended Madera South High.

What is the racial makeup of Madera South High?

Students at Madera South High are 94% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Madera South High?

Madera South High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Alpha Elementary Elementary : Berenda Elementary Elementary : Cesar Chavez Elementary Elementary : James Monroe Elementary Elementary : John J. Pershing Elementary Elementary : La Vina Elementary Elementary : Millview Elementary Elementary : Nishimoto Elementary Elementary : Parkwood Elementary Elementary : Sierra Vista Elementary Middle : Jack G. Desmond Middle Middle : Martin Luther King Junior Middle

Madera South High

Summary:

Madera South High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Madera, California, with a total enrollment of 1,994 students. The school is part of the Madera Unified School District, which is ranked 1170 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Madera South High has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of California high schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1226 out of 2323 schools and a 2-star rating. The school has relatively high 4-year graduation rates, ranging from 93.0% to 97.4% over the past 5 years, which is higher than the Madera Unified district average and on par with the state average. However, Madera South High has seen an increase in dropout rates in recent years, rising from 1.6% in 2018-2019 to 5.5% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district and state averages. The school has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 45.2% in 2021-2022, significantly above the district and state averages.

Academically, Madera South High's test scores on the Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST Science exams are consistently below the Madera Unified district and California state averages, with only around 50% proficiency in English Language Arts and less than 10% proficiency in Mathematics. The school's performance is generally lower than the other high schools in the district, such as Matilda Torres High and Madera High, which have higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism. The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students at Madera South High, over 93%, likely contributes to the school's academic challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

755 W. Pecan Ave.
Madera, CA 93637

(559) 675-4450

District: Madera Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1226^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $1,982

Feeder schools for Madera South High:

Elementary:	Alpha Elementary
	Berenda Elementary
	Cesar Chavez Elementary
	James Monroe Elementary
	More...
	John J. Pershing Elementary
	La Vina Elementary
	Millview Elementary
	Nishimoto Elementary
	Parkwood Elementary
	Sierra Vista Elementary
Middle:	Jack G. Desmond Middle
	Martin Luther King Junior Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 21.6

Number of students: 1,855

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.0%

White:

2.0%

African American:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95%

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Compare Madera South High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Madera South High ranks worse than 52.8% of high schools in California. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked high schools in the Madera Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.58. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Madera South 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: Hispanic (94%), White (2%), African American (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Madera South High is 21.6. 3 high schools in the Madera Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Madera South High employs 85.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Madera South High is $1,982. 3 high schools in the Madera Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Madera South High:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera South High 1226^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Madera South High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Migrant students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Madera Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera Unified 1170^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Madera South High?

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Rank History for Madera South High

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Rank History for all students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2007	43.33	796^th	2063	61.4%
2008	42.15	861^st	2117	59.3%
2009	40.20	1014^th	2238	54.7%
2010	32.29	1216^th	2281	46.7%
2011	34.73	1186^th	2367	49.9%
2012	36.07	1153^rd	2354	51.0%
2013	34.14	1208^th	2426	50.2%
2015	33.33	1298^th	1994	34.9%
2016	35.49	1270^th	2039	37.7%
2017	35.07	1311^th	2021	35.1%
2018	38.48	1245^th	2017	38.3%
2019	38.73	1240^th	2133	41.9%
2022	26.45	1501^st	2123	29.3%
2023	32.57	1342^nd	2348	42.8%
2024	36.58	1226^th	2323	47.2%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.08	467^th	938	50.2%
2019	34.27	623^rd	941	33.8%
2022	31.91	771^st	1044	26.1%
2023	31.64	744^th	1323	43.8%
2024	30.17	830^th	1350	38.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.22	849^th	1547	45.1%
2024	23.04	1246^th	1534	18.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.01	1099^th	1862	41.0%
2019	46.24	1025^th	1937	47.1%
2022	31.03	1334^th	1943	31.3%
2023	38.93	1163^rd	2247	48.2%
2024	42.75	1057^th	2235	52.7%

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.92	50^th	89	43.8%
2024	49.31	55^th	100	45.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.96	1167^th	1760	33.7%
2019	36.61	1138^th	1833	37.9%
2022	26.75	1344^th	1858	27.7%
2023	36.97	1174^th	2118	44.6%
2024	34.69	1230^th	2098	41.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.63	801^st	1052	23.9%
2019	32.70	701^st	1117	37.2%
2022	21.45	1065^th	1161	8.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.64	1189^th	1834	35.2%
2019	36.16	1156^th	1880	38.5%
2022	23.01	1442^nd	1916	24.7%
2023	23.44	1516^th	2207	31.3%
2024	35.73	1166^th	2172	46.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	15.61	498^th	582	14.4%
2019	42.28	321^st	592	45.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.30	1003^rd	1742	42.4%
2019	46.77	958^th	1814	47.2%
2022	31.91	1267^th	1861	31.9%
2023	37.80	1178^th	2142	45.0%
2024	43.81	1001^st	2125	52.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Madera South High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.62	914^th	1173	22.1%
2019	45.92	681^st	1222	44.3%
2022	17.41	1022^nd	1204	15.1%
2023	44.10	689^th	1434	52.0%

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 Madera South High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	155	55	11	1203	4	n/a	n/a	11	1439
2008	218	88	20	1774	8	n/a	n/a	0	2108
2009	283	115	31	2246	10	0	8	0	2693
2010	241	111	38	2211	16	2	82	0	2701
2011	214	95	33	2265	14	2	35	0	2658
2012	212	82	39	2356	7	4	37	0	2737
2013	197	71	36	2364	14	4	19	0	2705
2014	180	85	29	2333	13	1	11	0	2652
2015	168	84	24	2537	12	0	7	0	2832
2016	153	79	23	2634	19	0	8	0	2916
2017	148	84	28	2763	15	0	9	0	3047
2018	123	66	33	2917	9	0	8	0	3156
2019	122	59	38	3030	10	0	11	0	3270
2020	130	60	38	3140	14	0	23	0	3405
2021	88	35	39	2598	9	1	21	0	2791
2022	63	34	34	2232	7	0	12	1	2383
2023	45	36	24	1866	7	0	15	1	1994
2024	38	33	25	1744	4	0	9	2	1855

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 Madera South High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	1439	99.2	14.5	82.3
2008	2108	144.4	14.6	75.9
2009	2693	110.8	22.9	74.3
2010	2701	113.8	23.7	78.8
2011	2658	n/a	n/a	83.3
2012	2737	103.6	26.4	n/a
2013	2705	108.4	24.9	84.7
2014	2652	105.8	25.0	86
2015	2832	109.0	25.9	90.2
2016	2916	118.0	24.7	89.1
2017	3047	124.4	24.4	90.8
2018	3156	126.2	25.0	91.9
2019	3270	130.4	25.0	92.3
2020	3405	n/a	n/a	92.4
2021	2791	111.0	25.1	93.4
2022	2383	100.1	23.8	93.8
2023	1994	89.9	22.1	93.4
2024	1855	85.5	21.6	95

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 Madera South High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	1439	99.2	14.5	82.3
2008	2108	144.4	14.6	75.9
2009	2693	110.8	22.9	74.3
2010	2701	113.8	23.7	78.8
2011	2658	n/a	n/a	83.3
2012	2737	103.6	26.4	n/a
2013	2705	108.4	24.9	84.7
2014	2652	105.8	25.0	86
2015	2832	109.0	25.9	90.2
2016	2916	118.0	24.7	89.1
2017	3047	124.4	24.4	90.8
2018	3156	126.2	25.0	91.9
2019	3270	130.4	25.0	92.3
2020	3405	n/a	n/a	92.4
2021	2791	111.0	25.1	93.4
2022	2383	100.1	23.8	93.8
2023	1994	89.9	22.1	93.4
2024	1855	85.5	21.6	95

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 Madera South High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$1,982

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Madera South 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 1240^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1342^nd of 2348 High schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Madera South High)	49.8	47	2.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Madera Unified)	45	43.9	1.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Madera South High)	12	7.4	4.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (Madera Unified)	12.8	9.8	2.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Madera South High)	16.6	14.8	1.8%
11th Grade Science (Madera Unified)	16.5	15.8	0.7%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%
12th Grade Science (Madera South High)	13.8	15.4	1.6%
12th Grade Science (Madera Unified)	7.6	10.3	2.8%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	3270	1994	39%
African American	59	36	39%
American Indian	10	7	30%
Asian	38	24	36.8%
Hispanic	3030	1866	38.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	122	45	63.1%
Two or More Races	11	15	36.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.3%	93.4%	1.2%

Schools Near Madera South 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
Madera South High	Public	9-12	755 W. Pecan Ave.	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-4450	1,855	86	21.6	95.0%	38 (2.0%)	33 (1.8%)	1,744 (94.0%)	25 (1.3%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (0.5%)	36.6	1226^th of 2323 public high schools	47.2%		32.6	1342^nd of 2348 public high schools	42.8%	116	17.8		17.7	50.4	50.4	9.0	9.0	$1,982
Madera Unified Adult Transition Program	Public	12	955 W. Pecan Ave.	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-4482	13	2	6.5	61.5%	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Madera High	Public	9-12	200 South L St.	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-4444	1,865	74	25.3	83.1%	131 (7.0%)	24 (1.3%)	1,634 (87.6%)	37 (2.0%)	9 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	28 (1.5%)	39.6	1143^rd of 2323 public high schools	50.8%		43.9	1017^th of 2348 public high schools	56.7%	126	17.1	0.0	16.6	52.2	52.2	14.7	14.7	$3,439
Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary)	Public	7-12	28261 Avenue 14	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-7900	22	3	6.4	86.4%	2 (9.1%)	1 (4.5%)	18 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)	5.1	2300^th of 2323 public high schools	1.0%					(n/a)					8.3		0.0	$16,789
Enterprise Secondary	Public	6-12	1665 East Olive Ave.	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 662-4856	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mountain Vista High	Public	10-12	1901 Clinton Ave.	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-4580	164	13	12.2	97.6%	6 (3.7%)	4 (2.4%)	146 (89.0%)	2 (1.2%)	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	14.1	1838^th of 2323 public high schools	20.9%		15.9	1807^th of 2348 public high schools	23.0%	31	7.3		6.8	23.6	23.6	1.8	1.8	$2,786
Sherman Thomas Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	26303 Adell St.	Madera	93638	Madera County	Sherman Thomas Charter High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-6626	71	5	13.6	64.8%	20 (28.2%)	2 (2.8%)	48 (67.6%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.1	854^th of 2323 public high schools	63.2%		41.8	1079^th of 2348 public high schools	54.0%	225	26.7		26.7	53.3	53.3	20.0	20.0
Matilda Torres High	Public	9-12	16645 Road 26	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 416-5909	2,057	89	22.9	90.8%	92 (4.5%)	15 (0.7%)	1,902 (92.5%)	23 (1.1%)	5 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (0.9%)	45	996^th of 2323 public high schools	57.1%		29	1448^th of 2348 public high schools	38.3%	452	21.8		22.0	54.3	54.3	15.8	15.8
Ripperdan Community Day	Public	7-12	26133 Ave. 7	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 674-0059	45	6	7.2	100.0%	1 (2.2%)	2 (4.4%)	40 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.6	2313^th of 2323 public high schools	0.4%		4.8	2319^th of 2348 public high schools	1.2%	6			0.0		0.0		0.0	$4,893
Independence Continuation High	Public	9-12	12150 Road 36	Madera	93636	Madera County	Golden Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 645-3580	39	4	11.1	82.1%	9 (23.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (66.7%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	9.2	2080^th of 2323 public high schools	10.5%		17.7	1756^th of 2348 public high schools	25.2%	324	7.7		7.7	5.9	5.9	0.0	0.0	$12,451

Madera South High

Madera South High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Madera Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for Madera South High

Rank History for all students at Madera South High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Madera South High

Rank History for Special Education students at Madera South High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera South High

Rank History for Migrant students at Madera South High

Rank History for Female students at Madera South High

Rank History for Disabled students at Madera South High

Rank History for Male students at Madera South High

Rank History for African American students at Madera South High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Madera South High

Rank History for White students at Madera South High

Enrollment information for Madera South High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Madera South High

Student/Teacher Ratio Madera South High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Madera South High

Impact of COVID-19 on Madera South High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Madera South High

Frequently Asked Questions about Madera South High

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