Academic Performance
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
No academic proficiency data available.
Located in this district, CA. Serving grades 09 through 12.
Merced Union High School District serves four high schools across Merced County: Golden Valley, Atwater, Livingston, and Merced High, along with two alternative schools—Yosemite (a continuation program) and Independence—and two additional comprehensive schools, Buhach Colony and El Capitan. The district enrolls roughly eleven thousand students in grades nine through twelve, distributed fairly evenly across the four grades.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Asian, White, and Black students making up smaller shares. Race-ethnicity data was reported, but the district did not report the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch or the counts of English learners and students with disabilities, so a parent seeking that picture would need to contact the district directly.
Academic performance across the district is below proficient levels in state testing. English-language arts proficiency stands at a low rate, while mathematics and science proficiency rates are substantially lower. Only one year of data was available, so trend direction cannot be assessed. A parent considering this district should request multi-year trend data and ask the schools directly about their specific supports for students working below grade level, their progress-monitoring approaches, and pathways to remediation.
Among the county's districts, Merced Union's chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint, a positive indicator that students are generally attending school. The district's per-pupil spending is in the middle-to-upper range for the county, suggesting resources comparable to or somewhat above the typical district in the area.
The county housing market is moderately priced relative to the state, though housing costs are moving downward slightly. Rents are rising modestly year-over-year. The region sits where monthly mortgage payments fall roughly midway between affordable and stretched for a household at median income, while rent consumes a substantial but manageable share of income. The county's unemployment rate remains moderate, and median household income has held steady over recent years.
No recent major district-level policy changes or bond measures were found in public reporting, so a parent seeking to understand the district's strategic direction or near-term capital plans may want to review the district's long-term financial forecast and strategic initiatives directly with the district office.
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
9 schools are officially reported under this district.
| ZIP | City | Value | YoY | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95369 | Merced | $479K | +3.4% | 21.0% |
| 95341 | Merced | $364K | -1.3% | 20.9% |
| 95301 | Atwater | $423K | +0.5% | 11.6% |
| 95348 | Merced | $417K | -1.8% | 9.2% |
| 95340 | Merced | $405K | -1.4% | 6.7% |
| 95334 | Livingston | $427K | -2.5% | 6.7% |
| 95388 | Winton | $363K | +0.8% | 5.9% |
| 95303 | Ballico | $794K | -6.6% | 4.5% |
| 95316 | Denair | $556K | +2.3% | 2.9% |
| 95380 | Turlock | $448K | +0.0% | 1.0% |
| 93610 | Chowchilla | $391K | +1.6% | 0.9% |
| 93620 | Dos Palos | $366K | -0.5% | 0.9% |
| 95315 | Delhi | $416K | -1.0% | 0.2% |
| 95333 | Le Grand | $350K | +0.4% | 0.2% |
| ZIP | City | Rent/mo | YoY | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95341 | Merced | $1,848 | +7.5% | 20.9% |
| 95301 | Atwater | $1,724 | — | 11.6% |
| 95348 | Merced | $1,886 | +1.0% | 9.2% |
| 95340 | Merced | $1,722 | +4.5% | 6.7% |
| 95380 | Turlock | $1,739 | +1.1% | 1.0% |
Officially reported figures, 2024-25.