Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
73 points separate Madera Elementary (78) from Cesar E. Chavez Elementary (4) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
73 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 42 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Madera Elementary (78/100) holds the Strong band — 56.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 12.9%. 2 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
27.4% of students are chronically absent (state: 17.9%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The middle years
The middle schools average 32.8/100 — 5.8 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
3 middle schools span 20 points around an average of 32.8.
Hercules Middle is the strongest option at 40/100 — 17.6% of its students exceed the state standard.
1 of 3 middle schools sits in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
The high schools average 47.5/100 — 6.4 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
40 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 10 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Hercules High (65/100) holds the Strong band — 24.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 13.9%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
29.4% 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.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Madera Elementary at 78/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
8 of the 55 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.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 10 campuses here rank as On the Rise (8) or Growth Engine (2), 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:
Madera Elementary 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 78/100Hercules Middle 58th percentile · SolidScope Score 40/100Hercules High 80th percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
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.