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Public school district · California

Madera Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Madera Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Sherman Thomas STEM AcademyMatilda Torres HighSherman Thomas Charter HighMadera HighMadera South HighDixieland ElementaryJohn J. Pershing ElementaryBerenda ElementarySherman Thomas CharterLincoln ElementaryJohn Adams ElementaryHoward ElementaryParkwood ElementaryJames Madison ElementaryGeorge Washington ElementaryAlpha ElementaryEzequiel Tafoya Alvarado AcademyMountain Vista HighDuane E. Furman Independent StudyVirginia Lee Rose ElementaryJames Monroe ElementaryMillview ElementaryCesar Chavez ElementarySierra Vista ElementaryLa Vina ElementaryNishimoto ElementaryEastin Arcola ElementaryMadera UnifiedN ↑
27 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary21 schools
avg 23.5/10014 Needs Support, 7 Developing
Middle1 school
avg 80.3/1001 Strong
High5 schools
avg 42.7/1004 Developing, 1 Needs Support

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

The elementary schools average 23.5/100 — 15.3 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

21 elementary schools span 18 points around an average of 23.5.

The strength

Dixieland Elementary is the strongest option at 32/100 — 8.1% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

14 of 21 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.

Dixieland Elementary
Building Momentum
39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 30/100

All 21 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

One middle school: Sherman Thomas STEM Academy at 80/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.

0100

One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.

The strength

Sherman Thomas STEM Academy (80/100) holds the Strong band — 49.5% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 49.5%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

One campus is the whole sample — a single year's cohort moves every number in this chapter.

Sherman Thomas STEM Academy
Strong All-Around · Charter
97th percentile · StrongScope Score 80/100

Middle school detail in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

28 points separate Matilda Torres High (50) from Mountain Vista High (23) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

0100

5 high schools span 28 points around an average of 42.7.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Matilda Torres High is the strongest option at 50/100 — 10.7% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

34.3% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

Matilda Torres High
Building Momentum
43rd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 50/100
Sherman Thomas Charter High
Building Momentum · Charter
37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Madera High
Building Momentum
37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100

All 5 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Dixieland Elementary at 32/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

4 of the 27 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 3 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Dixieland Elementary 39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100Sherman Thomas STEM Academy 97th percentile · StrongScope Score 80/100Matilda Torres High 43rd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 50/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Madera Unified has 27 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

21 comparable schools · average 23.5/100 · range 13.4–31.8

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

1 comparable schools · average 80.3/100 · range 80.3–80.3

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 47.7/100 · range 42.9–50.3

Explore Madera Unified by place.

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Madera Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Madera Unified · 21 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Dixieland Elementary
Madera Unified Building Momentum
8.1%39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
John J. Pershing Elementary
Madera Unified On the Rise
10.0%39th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100
Berenda Elementary
Madera Unified On the Rise
8.8%35th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 30/100
Sherman Thomas Charter
Madera Unified Building Momentum
11.1%32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 29/100
Lincoln Elementary
Madera Unified Building Momentum
9.9%29th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 28/100
John Adams Elementary
Madera Unified Building Momentum
12.1%29th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 28/100

Middle schools in Madera Unified · 1 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Sherman Thomas STEM Academy
Madera Unified Strong All-Around
49.5%97th percentile · StrongScope Score 80/100

High schools in Madera Unified · 5 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Matilda Torres High
Madera Unified Building Momentum
10.7%43rd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 50/100
Sherman Thomas Charter High
Madera Unified Building Momentum
16.7%37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Madera High
Madera Unified Building Momentum
14.5%37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
Madera South High
Madera Unified Building Momentum
9.0%20th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 43/100
Mountain Vista High
Madera Unified continuation high school
1.4%41st percentile · DevelopingWithin its own school classScope Score 23/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Madera Unified spent $21,575 per student in FY 2024–25 — close to the median California district ($20,491). About 53 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction53%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services13%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance10%
  • Other5%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$52,709–$107,743
Teaching staff1,204 · FTE
District enrollment19,941 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 89.3% · White 5.8% · Black 1.3% · Asian 1.2% · Other 2.5%
Free/reduced lunch88% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Madera Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 27 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Madera Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 27 public schools in Madera Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Madera Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Dixieland Elementary (32/100). Middle: Sherman Thomas STEM Academy (80/100). High: Matilda Torres High (50/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Madera Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.