Is Independence High (Alternative) a good school?

Independence High (Alternative) ranks in the bottom 14.4% of California high schools.

How many students attend Independence High (Alternative)?

In the 2023-24 school year, 92 students attended Independence High (Alternative).

What is the racial makeup of Independence High (Alternative)?

Students at Independence High (Alternative) are 75% Hispanic, 16% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Independence High (Alternative)

Summary:

Independence High (Alternative) is a small public high school in Merced, California, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Merced Union High School District. With just 119 students, the school faces significant challenges, including low academic performance, high dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism.

Independence High (Alternative) consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of California high schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science that are significantly lower than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 16.28% of students were proficient in ELA, compared to 41.6% in the district and 55.73% statewide. The school also struggles with a concerning dropout rate, ranging from 5.4% to 22.9% over the past few years, and high chronic absenteeism, reaching as high as 65.4% in 2018-2019. These challenges are compounded by the fact that 86.55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other high schools in the Merced Union High School District, such as Atwater High, Buhach Colony High, El Capitan High, and Merced High, Independence High (Alternative) consistently performs significantly worse academically. However, the school has shown improvement in its four-year graduation rates, increasing from 74.1% in 2019-2020 to 94.6% in 2022-2023, suggesting that the school may be providing additional support to help students graduate, even if they are not meeting academic proficiency standards.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1900 G St.
Merced, CA 95340-5043

(209) 325-1600

District: Merced Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1989^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,835

Student/teacher ratio: 7.3

Number of students: 92

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.0%

White:

16.3%

African American:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Independence High (Alternative) to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence High (Alternative) ranks worse than 85.6% of high schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked high schools in the Merced Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.39. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Independence High (Alternative) 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 Independence High (Alternative) has the smallest high school student body size in the Merced Union High School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (75%), White (16.3%), African American (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence High (Alternative) is 7.3, which is the lowest among 9 high schools in the Merced Union High School District! (See more...)

Compare Independence High (Alternative) employs 12.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence High (Alternative) is $21,835, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 high schools in the Merced Union High School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence High (Alternative):

SchoolDigger ranks Independence High (Alternative) 1989^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Independence High (Alternative) in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Merced Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Merced Union High 1079^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence High (Alternative)?

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Rank History for Independence High (Alternative)

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Rank History for all students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	18.66	1330^th	1653	19.5%
2005	22.50	1305^th	1901	31.4%
2006	20.36	1413^th	1968	28.2%
2007	20.45	1487^th	2063	27.9%
2008	22.87	1417^th	2117	33.1%
2009	25.80	1585^th	2238	29.2%
2010	18.41	1683^rd	2281	26.2%
2011	20.27	1628^th	2367	31.2%
2012	28.11	1354^th	2354	42.5%
2013	21.79	1587^th	2426	34.6%
2015	19.04	1510^th	1994	24.3%
2016	15.31	1606^th	2039	21.2%
2017	13.08	1659^th	2021	17.9%
2018	29.87	1376^th	2017	31.8%
2019	22.89	1556^th	2133	27.1%
2021	12.49	1117^th	1290	13.4%
2022	18.07	1706^th	2123	19.6%
2023	14.31	1861^st	2348	20.7%
2024	10.39	1989^th	2323	14.4%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.94	1332^nd	1862	28.5%
2019	28.42	1365^th	1937	29.5%
2022	17.71	1608^th	1943	17.2%
2023	14.39	1814^th	2247	19.3%
2024	10.94	1925^th	2235	13.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	14.71	1608^th	1858	13.5%
2023	14.98	1725^th	2118	18.6%
2024	10.69	1833^rd	2098	12.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	20.11	1498^th	1916	21.8%
2023	12.10	1840^th	2207	16.6%
2024	9.09	1946^th	2172	10.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	18.76	1518^th	1861	18.4%
2023	17.88	1652^nd	2142	22.9%
2024	11.30	1800^th	2125	15.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Independence High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	6.30	1139^th	1204	5.4%

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 (Alternative)

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	405	16	29	130	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
1989	290	5	12	148	0	n/a	n/a	0	455
1990	178	15	14	156	1	n/a	n/a	0	364
1991	145	5	9	114	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
1992	214	10	45	161	0	n/a	n/a	0	430
1993	148	8	12	121	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1994	153	19	12	162	0	n/a	n/a	0	346
1995	147	8	7	169	0	n/a	n/a	0	331
1996	147	8	7	169	0	n/a	n/a	0	331
1997	144	17	10	139	0	n/a	n/a	0	310
1998	168	10	6	137	0	n/a	n/a	0	321
1999	168	5	11	159	1	n/a	n/a	0	344
2000	136	4	18	142	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
2001	111	15	17	129	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
2002	123	9	6	168	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2003	123	9	6	168	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2004	125	6	13	118	1	n/a	n/a	6	269
2005	134	11	12	149	2	n/a	n/a	11	319
2006	97	10	14	170	1	n/a	n/a	10	302
2007	85	15	11	133	3	n/a	n/a	16	263
2008	79	14	10	160	1	n/a	n/a	0	264
2009	78	9	10	165	0	0	5	0	267
2010	60	7	11	132	3	0	2	0	215
2011	51	18	8	128	4	1	3	0	213
2012	37	8	7	102	7	0	3	0	164
2013	34	8	2	41	1	0	1	0	87
2014	12	3	3	26	0	0	0	0	44
2015	8	0	0	27	0	0	1	0	36
2016	15	2	0	32	0	0	0	0	49
2017	10	3	1	21	0	0	1	0	36
2018	19	7	1	19	1	0	0	0	47
2019	11	3	2	38	0	0	1	0	55
2020	19	1	1	61	0	1	4	0	87
2021	20	2	1	50	0	1	1	0	75
2022	37	15	6	126	1	3	4	0	192
2023	24	5	2	83	2	0	2	1	119
2024	15	5	1	69	0	0	2	0	92

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 (Alternative)

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	18.9	30.6	n/a
1989	455	17.7	25.7	n/a
1990	364	12.7	28.6	n/a
1991	273	9.2	29.6	n/a
1992	430	9.3	46.2	n/a
1993	289	15.8	18.3	0
1994	346	13.0	26.6	0
1995	331	18.1	18.3	0
1996	331	18.1	18.3	0
1997	310	20.6	15.0	0
1998	321	20.2	15.9	78.8
1999	344	11.1	31.0	56.1
2000	300	9.6	31.3	78.3
2001	272	9.0	30.2	79
2002	306	9.7	31.5	80.7
2003	306	9.7	31.5	80.7
2004	269	10.6	25.4	67.3
2005	319	12.5	25.5	77.3
2006	302	9.2	32.8	48.3
2007	263	9.5	27.7	92.3
2008	264	17.2	15.3	63.3
2009	267	14.5	15.3	62.5
2010	215	19.0	11.3	75.8
2011	213	n/a	n/a	76.5
2012	164	9.5	17.2	n/a
2013	87	7.1	12.2	69
2014	44	6.0	7.3	86.4
2015	36	4.0	9.0	83.3
2016	49	4.0	12.2	93.9
2017	36	4.4	8.1	80.6
2018	47	5.4	8.7	72.3
2019	55	4.0	13.7	89.1
2020	87	n/a	n/a	83.9
2021	75	7.2	10.4	89.3
2022	192	8.8	21.8	89.1
2023	119	9.8	12.0	86.6
2024	92	12.5	7.3	90.2

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 (Alternative)

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	18.9	30.6	n/a
1989	455	17.7	25.7	n/a
1990	364	12.7	28.6	n/a
1991	273	9.2	29.6	n/a
1992	430	9.3	46.2	n/a
1993	289	15.8	18.3	0
1994	346	13.0	26.6	0
1995	331	18.1	18.3	0
1996	331	18.1	18.3	0
1997	310	20.6	15.0	0
1998	321	20.2	15.9	78.8
1999	344	11.1	31.0	56.1
2000	300	9.6	31.3	78.3
2001	272	9.0	30.2	79
2002	306	9.7	31.5	80.7
2003	306	9.7	31.5	80.7
2004	269	10.6	25.4	67.3
2005	319	12.5	25.5	77.3
2006	302	9.2	32.8	48.3
2007	263	9.5	27.7	92.3
2008	264	17.2	15.3	63.3
2009	267	14.5	15.3	62.5
2010	215	19.0	11.3	75.8
2011	213	n/a	n/a	76.5
2012	164	9.5	17.2	n/a
2013	87	7.1	12.2	69
2014	44	6.0	7.3	86.4
2015	36	4.0	9.0	83.3
2016	49	4.0	12.2	93.9
2017	36	4.4	8.1	80.6
2018	47	5.4	8.7	72.3
2019	55	4.0	13.7	89.1
2020	87	n/a	n/a	83.9
2021	75	7.2	10.4	89.3
2022	192	8.8	21.8	89.1
2023	119	9.8	12.0	86.6
2024	92	12.5	7.3	90.2

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 (Alternative)

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$21,834

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High (Alternative)

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 1556^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1861^st of 2348 High schools	6.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Independence High (Alternative))	37.5	21.4	16.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Merced Union High)	47.2	39.9	7.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Independence High (Alternative))	0	2.4	2.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (Merced Union High)	17.3	10.8	6.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Independence High (Alternative))	11.8	7.1	4.6%
11th Grade Science (Merced Union High)	20.9	18.8	2%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%
12th Grade Science (Independence High (Alternative))	5.3	0	5.3%
12th Grade Science (Merced Union High)	16.3	7.7	8.6%
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	55	119	116.4%
African American	3	5	66.7%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	38	83	118.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	11	24	118.2%
Two or More Races	1	2	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.1%	86.6%	2.5%

Schools Near Independence High (Alternative)

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 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Yosemite High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	355	23	15.3	90.1%	38 (10.7%)	25 (7.0%)	272 (76.6%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.3%)	7.8	2187^th of 2323 public high schools	5.9%		7.6	2224^th of 2348 public high schools	5.3%	37		2.8		2.6			5.4	5.4			0.0	0.0	$12,315
Independence High (Alternative)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	92	13	7.3	90.2%	15 (16.3%)	5 (5.4%)	69 (75.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	10.4	1989^th of 2323 public high schools	14.4%		14.3	1861^st of 2348 public high schools	20.7%	128		4.8		4.7			16.3	16.3			0.0	0.0	$21,835
Sequoia High	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1700	106	9	11.2	96.2%	11 (10.4%)	10 (9.4%)	81 (76.4%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)								(n/a)													$28,813
Merced County Regional Occupational Program	Public	11-12	632 West 13th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(209) 381-6740	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Merced High	Public	9-12	205 West Olive Ave.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1000	1,951	85	22.9	76.9%	264 (13.5%)	127 (6.5%)	1,314 (67.4%)	141 (7.2%)	12 (0.6%)	4 (0.2%)	79 (4.0%)	33	1338^th of 2323 public high schools	42.4%		40.6	1121^st of 2348 public high schools	52.3%	217		16.6	35.7	17.2			42.9	42.9			11.4	11.4	$8,868
Golden Valley High	Public	9-12	2121 East Childs Ave.	Merced	95344	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1800	1,955	95	20.5	84.6%	179 (9.2%)	110 (5.6%)	1,404 (71.8%)	194 (9.9%)	14 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	50 (2.6%)	35.3	1267^th of 2323 public high schools	45.5%		32.3	1351^st of 2348 public high schools	42.5%	84		16.2	21.1	16.4			47.4	47.4			11.6	11.6	$8,532
Come Back Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	350 West Yosemite Ave	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 386-6025	120	5	23.7	85.0%	21 (17.5%)	7 (5.8%)	86 (71.7%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	18.8	1713^th of 2323 public high schools	26.3%		14.7	1848^th of 2348 public high schools	21.3%	135			6.8	6.8
El Capitan High	Public	9-12	100 West Farmland	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 384-5500	1,811	86	21.1	74.1%	256 (14.1%)	69 (3.8%)	1,205 (66.5%)	230 (12.7%)	4 (0.2%)	10 (0.6%)	34 (1.9%)	44	1024^th of 2323 public high schools	55.9%		35.6	1261^st of 2348 public high schools	46.3%	237		26.3	18.2	25.9			49.7	49.7			13.6	13.6	$8,947
Buhach Colony High	Public	9-12	1800 Buhach Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1400	1,658	84	19.8	73.8%	266 (16.0%)	41 (2.5%)	1,136 (68.5%)	161 (9.7%)	14 (0.8%)	6 (0.4%)	33 (2.0%)	34.2	1301^st of 2323 public high schools	44.0%		33	1331^st of 2348 public high schools	43.3%	30		18.3		18.1			46.3	46.3			8.5	8.5	$9,222
Valley Atwater Community	Public	6-12	1800 Matthew Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4550	120	7	17.2	94.2%	12 (10.0%)	6 (5.0%)	99 (82.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	7.3	2236^th of 2323 public high schools	3.7%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0		1.3	18.2	6.3	6.0	7.2	9.1	6.3	0.0	2.4	$32,954

Independence High (Alternative)

Independence High (Alternative):

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Merced Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for all students at Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for Female students at Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for Male students at Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence High (Alternative)

Rank History for White students at Independence High (Alternative)

Enrollment information for Independence High (Alternative)

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence High (Alternative)

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence High (Alternative)

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence High (Alternative)

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High (Alternative)

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence High (Alternative)

Yosemite High (Continuation)