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Independence High · Paso Robles

Independence High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Independence posts 18% meeting the standard and 5.8% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

812 Niblick Road, 93446 (opens in new tab)·Paso Robles Joint Unified·Paso Robles·Grades 9-12·137 students·55% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 769-1620
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3444
% Exceeded6%16%
% Met+18%36%
Grad rate88.4%87.6%
College readiness16.7%35.4%
Absence34.3%30.2%
Suspension0.7%3.6%
Scope Score
34
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,533 statewide · #2 of 3 in Paso Robles Joint Unified

Independence High scores 34 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 29th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “18% proficient” and call it done. Independence deserves a closer read. The school sits in Paso Robles, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 29th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 18% meet the standard today, versus 30% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1144%63%38%49%32%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1115%19%2%12%3%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
18%
State 36%
Graduate
88%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
17%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 18 are proficient by 11th grade → 88 graduate → 17 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
88.4%
State 87.6%
0.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
5.8%
State 15.8%
10.0pp below state avg
College readiness
16.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
17.5%
State 35.7%
18.2pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
34.3%
State 30.2%
4.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 3.6%
2.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.3%
State 18.0%
9.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Independence High in Paso Robles, 24.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Independence High trails its district average for low-income students by 11.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (2.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (20.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 37 students tested.

All students at this school: 18% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 18%, district —, state 36%18%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 14%, district 29%, state 32%14% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 24%, district 38%, state 44%24% · +6 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 12%, district 28%, state 32%12% · −5 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 19%, district 54%, state 56%19% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 8%, district 36%, state 42%8% · −9 vs school

5 of 11 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 34.3%, district 27.0%, state 30.2%34.3% · +4.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.7%, district —, state 3.6%0.7% · −2.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1235.0%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Independence High
34/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 24:123:1
Teaching staff7 teachers
Avg. experience25.0 years
Fully credentialed33%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,254 – $108,860
Principal salary$114,448 – $130,659
Superintendent salary$222,360

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
AP exam qualifiers1 students
CTE pathway completers3 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,552, CA average $14,815$18,552 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,288 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction62%
Instruction support9%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$11,589 per pupil
2019$10,968 per pupil
2018$12,352 per pupil
2017$11,612 per pupil
2016$11,797 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic61.3%
District 61.4% · CA 56.1%
White33.6%
District 31.4% · CA 19.9%
Other5.1%
District 5.5% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 55.5% (8pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$98K · CA $85K
Median home value$708K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+31% · CA 35%
ZIP population45,554
Median age42 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 137 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 15% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Independence High a good high school?

Independence High has a Scope Score of 34 out of 100, placing it in the 29th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,533 statewide. 5.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.0 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Independence High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 17.5% of students at Independence High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 11.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.8% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 120 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Independence High rank in California?

Independence High ranks #1,533 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 29th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Independence High?

34.3% of students at Independence High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 0.7%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Independence High compare to other schools in Paso Robles?

Independence High scores 34/100 (29th percentile) among California high schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 137 students. Use the schools in Paso Robles page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Independence High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Independence High in Paso Robles, 24.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Independence High trails its district average for low-income students by 11.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (2.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (20.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 37 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

All schools in Paso Robles →

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
88.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 51th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
5.8%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 39th pctile
College readiness · 20%
16.7%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 39th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
17.5%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 37th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
34.3%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 47th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 39th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 116010%22%32%37%32%−16
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11602%2%25%72%3%−20
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11613%11%79%7%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged3724.3%−12−14
Hispanic/Latino2920.7%−14−18
White2638.5%−23−23
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Independence High ←—345.8%17.5%—0.7%
Paso Robles High0.1 mi5119.6%50.3%—4.0%
Liberty High (Continuation)0 mi230.0%11.4%—3.6%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
88.4%
AP Exam Prepared
16.7%
A-G Completion
2.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
55.2%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194037#128710.3%29.6%19.8%1.7%—
20224142#121512.3%40.9%41.9%1.6%—
20233329#15182.6%20.4%42.5%1.3%—
20243734#14137.3%30.5%38.1%1.1%—
20253429#15335.8%17.5%34.3%0.7%—
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 14 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female15.5%32.0%+16.5pp
Male19.3%38.8%+19.5pp
Hispanic/Latino18.9%36.9%+18.0pp
Students with Disabilities5.9%40.0%+34.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged23.4%37.0%+13.6pp
All Students16.9%35.0%+18.1pp
English Learners—52.6%—
Homeless—45.5%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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