Enrollment
348
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Madera, CA
Duane E. Furman Independent Study
Federal NCES profile for Duane E. Furman Independent Study, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062334004611
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Duane E. Furman Independent Study earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools.
- #8 of 10
- schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- small classes for California
- 82.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Duane E. Furman Independent Study has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Duane E. Furman Independent Study ranks #8 of 10 schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Madera Unified · California
NCES ID 062334004611 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Duane E. Furman Independent Study compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Duane E. Furman Independent Study
Duane E. Furman Independent Study is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Madera, California, enrolling 348 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.6:1, Duane E. Furman Independent Study is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 23% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 82.7% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 348 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,442 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #509.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 348 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Madera's public schools, it stands alongside Gould Educational Center (351 students): Duane E. Furman Independent Study is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 8:1).
Madera Unified also operates Matilda Torres High (2,017 students) and Madera High (1,869 students) alongside Duane E. Furman Independent Study.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Duane E. Furman Independent Study compares
Duane E. Furman Independent Study on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▼ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.7% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 348 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
348
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$15,587
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 348 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 87.9%
White 6.1%
Asian 2.3%
African American 1.7%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.3, Duane E. Furman Independent Study is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madera Unified, which includes Duane E. Furman Independent Study.
$15,587
Per student
-6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 70.9%
Federal 15.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Duane E. Furman Independent Study Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda Torres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madera High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madera South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Duane E. Furman Independent Study's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,017
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,869
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,859
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Madera
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gould Educational Center
Special-education school
351 students 8:1 students per teacher
Pioneer Technical Center
Alternative education program
207 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Madera County Independent Academy
Alternative education program
61 students 30.5:1 students per teacher
Freedom Home
Alternative education program
53 students 53:1 students per teacher
Ripperdan Community Day
Alternative education program
49 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary)
Alternative education program
29 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~348 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Duane E. Furman Independent Study's federal record.
- Compare Duane E. Furman Independent Study against another school. Compare schools
- Madera Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Duane E. Furman Independent Study
How many students attend Duane E. Furman Independent Study?
Duane E. Furman Independent Study has 348 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Duane E. Furman Independent Study?
The student-teacher ratio at Duane E. Furman Independent Study is 16.6:1, which is 23% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Duane E. Furman Independent Study?
82.7% of students at Duane E. Furman Independent Study are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Duane E. Furman Independent Study?
The largest demographic group at Duane E. Furman Independent Study is Hispanic or Latino at 87.9% of enrollment, in Madera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Duane E. Furman Independent Study?
Duane E. Furman Independent Study has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Duane E. Furman Independent Study rank among schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Duane E. Furman Independent Study ranks #8 of 10 schools in Madera, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Madera on the city page.
Is Duane E. Furman Independent Study a good school?
Duane E. Furman Independent Study earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Madera Unified?
Besides Duane E. Furman Independent Study, Madera Unified also operates Matilda Torres High (2,017 students), Madera High (1,869 students), and Madera South High (1,859 students). See the Madera Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.