School district · Madera County

Madera Unified schools

Of Madera Unified’s 20 public elementary schools, 16 sit between the 8th and the 33rd percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Elementary · 20 schools

from 1st to 36th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

15Needs Support
5Developing
0Solid
0Strong

Each column counts the schools in one five-percentile step; the number above it is that count.

Middle and high school pictures

Middle · 10 schools

from 2nd to 92nd · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Sherman Thomas STEM Academy: 92nd percentile, Strong
  • Howard Elementary: 47th percentile, Developing
  • Liberty Charter: 29th percentile, Developing
  • Eastin Arcola Elementary: 26th percentile, Developing
  • Sherman Thomas Charter: 18th percentile, Needs Support
  • Thomas Jefferson Middle: 18th percentile, Needs Support
  • Dixieland Elementary: 17th percentile, Needs Support
  • Jack G. Desmond Middle: 7th percentile, Needs Support
  • Duane E. Furman Independent Study: 3rd percentile, Needs Support
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Middle: 2nd percentile, Needs Support
6Needs Support
3Developing
0Solid
1Strong

High · 4 schools

from 3rd to 36th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Matilda Torres High: 36th percentile, Developing
  • Madera High: 35th percentile, Developing
  • Madera South High: 20th percentile, Needs Support
  • Duane E. Furman Independent Study: 3rd percentile, Needs Support
2Needs Support
2Developing
0Solid
0Strong

Each column counts the schools in one five-percentile step; the number above it is that count. One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 6 of the 28 ranked schools teach two levels, so they appear in more than one picture.

  • 28 ranked schools
  • 3 schools not ranked statewide

Schools around Madera Unified

31 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

Loading school locations…

Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Madera Unified score highest?

Howard Elementary is highest, at the 36th percentile.

That’s higher than 36 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Madera Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Show the other 17 elementary schools
Context

The average elementary school in Madera Unified had 19 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in Madera Unified score highest?

Sherman Thomas STEM Academy is highest, at the 92nd percentile.

That’s higher than 92 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Madera Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Show the other 7 middle schools
Context

The average middle school in Madera Unified had 22 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.

High schools

Which high schools in Madera Unified score highest?

Matilda Torres High is highest, at the 36th percentile.

That’s higher than 36 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Madera Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

Show the other 1 high school
Context

The average high school in Madera Unified had 32 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100.

3 high schools not ranked statewide

Continuation schools and court and community schools enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with its own kind or not ranked. The others have no statewide percentile this year.

The district

Where does Madera Unified’s money go?

Madera Unified spent $21,575 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 53 cents of every Madera Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction53%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services14%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Other5%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

The district’s plan

Every California district publishes a yearly plan, the LCAP: its goals and what it will spend to reach them. Search it for a program, grade or student group you care about.

Sources: Plans (California School Dashboard) ↗

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 21,016 students
1. Hispanic or Latino: 91%2. White: 4%3. Asian: 1%4. Not reported: 1%5. Black or African American: 1%6. Two or more races: <1%7. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%8. Filipino: <1%9. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. Hispanic or Latino91%
  2. White4%
  3. Asian1%
  4. Not reported1%
  5. Black or African American1%
  6. Two or more races<1%
  7. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
  8. Filipino<1%
  9. Pacific Islander<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools. Rounded labels may not total 100%; segments use the original shares.

Free or reduced-price meals

90%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 18,980 of 20,988 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

The state is giving Madera Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 41% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (1,842 of 4,459 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

3 schools getting state support, 2025–26

James Monroe Elementary (Targeted support) · Madera South High (Targeted support) · Martin Luther King Jr. Middle (Targeted support)

This list covers the district’s own schools; each charter school’s page shows its record. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗ · School support (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

Common questions

Which public schools in Madera Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Howard Elementary, 36th percentile (Developing). Middle: Sherman Thomas STEM Academy, 92nd percentile (Strong). High: Matilda Torres High, 36th percentile (Developing). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Madera Unified district decide which school my child attends?

Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (4)

Are the public schools in Madera Unified good?

Madera Unified’s 20 public elementary schools run from the 1st to the 36th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 5 Developing and 15 Needs Support. Madera Unified’s 10 public middle schools run from the 2nd to the 92nd percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 3 Developing and 6 Needs Support. Madera Unified’s 4 public high schools run from the 3rd to the 36th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 2 Developing and 2 Needs Support. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in Madera Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Madera Unified had 19 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. The average middle school in Madera Unified had 22 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in Madera Unified had 32 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does Madera Unified spend per student?

Madera Unified spent $21,575 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 53 cents of every Madera Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Madera Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school

Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.