Enrollment
87
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Merced, CA
Independence High (Alternative)
Federal NCES profile for Independence High (Alternative), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062466008164
👥 S:T ratio 61
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence High (Alternative) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools.
- #2 of 7
- high schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.7:1
- small classes for California
- 83.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence High (Alternative) has class sizes smaller than 96% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 7 high schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Merced Union High · California
NCES ID 062466008164 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence High (Alternative) compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence High (Alternative)
Independence High (Alternative) is a high-poverty, small high school in Merced, California, enrolling 87 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, Independence High (Alternative) is leaner than roughly 96% of California schools and 55% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 83.2% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of California schools, with 87 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #83.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (15%) (diversity index 48/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Among Merced's high schools, it stands alongside Merced High (1,943 students): Independence High (Alternative) is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.7:1 vs 23.1:1).
Merced Union High also operates Atwater High (2,029 students) and Merced High (1,943 students) alongside Independence High (Alternative).
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 Independence High (Alternative) compares
Independence High (Alternative) on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 55% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.2% | ▲ 50% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 87 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
87
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 55% below state mean
Top 4% in California - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,866
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 70.1%
White 14.9%
African American 10.3%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Independence High (Alternative) is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merced Union High, which includes Independence High (Alternative).
$14,866
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 67.1%
Federal 13.0%
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 Independence High (Alternative) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atwater High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Merced High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buhach Colony High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence High (Alternative)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,029
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,704
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high schools in Merced
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Merced High
Standard public school
1,943 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Golden Valley High
Standard public school
1,917 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
El Capitan High
Standard public school
1,793 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Yosemite High (Continuation)
Alternative education program
342 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Come Back Charter
Standard public school
128 students 42.7:1 students per teacher
Sequoia High
Alternative education program
77 students 8.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~87 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence High (Alternative)'s federal record.
- Compare Independence High (Alternative) against another school. Compare schools
- Merced Union High'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 Independence High (Alternative)
How many students attend Independence High (Alternative)?
Independence High (Alternative) has 87 students enrolled. It is a high school in Merced, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High (Alternative)?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence High (Alternative) is 9.7:1, which is 55% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% lower 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 Independence High (Alternative)?
83.2% of students at Independence High (Alternative) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence High (Alternative)?
The largest demographic group at Independence High (Alternative) is Hispanic or Latino at 70.1% of enrollment, in Merced, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence High (Alternative)?
Independence High (Alternative) has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Independence High (Alternative) rank among high schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence High (Alternative) ranks #2 of 7 high schools in Merced, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Merced on the city page.
Is Independence High (Alternative) a good school?
Independence High (Alternative) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Merced Union High?
Besides Independence High (Alternative), Merced Union High also operates Atwater High (2,029 students), Merced High (1,943 students), and Golden Valley High (1,917 students). See the Merced Union High 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.