Summary:
The 95340 zip code area of Merced, California is home to 19 schools, including 12 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative school, all part of the Merced City Elementary and Merced Union High school districts.
Among the standout schools in the area are Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary, which has the highest statewide ranking and proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the district and state averages. Luther Burbank Elementary also ranks highly and has strong proficiency rates. At the middle school level, Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle has the highest statewide ranking and relatively strong proficiency in English Language Arts. The alternative high school, Independence High, stands out with a high graduation rate and low dropout rate.
However, the data also reveals significant disparities in academic performance, with the high schools, particularly the alternative and continuation high schools, having much lower proficiency rates in core subjects compared to the elementary and middle schools. There appears to be a correlation between the schools' socioeconomic status, as measured by free/reduced lunch rates, and their academic performance, with the higher-poverty schools tending to have lower proficiency and higher chronic absenteeism. Addressing chronic absenteeism, which is a significant issue at the high school level, should be a priority for the district.
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