Is Valley Atwater Community a good school?

Valley Atwater Community ranks in the bottom 3.7% of California high schools.

How many students attend Valley Atwater Community?

In the 2023-24 school year, 120 students attended Valley Atwater Community.

What is the racial makeup of Valley Atwater Community?

Students at Valley Atwater Community are 83% Hispanic, 10% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Valley Atwater Community

Summary:

Valley Atwater Community is a public high school serving grades 6-12 in Atwater, California, which is part of the Merced County Office of Education district. Unfortunately, this school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in the state, with significant challenges across key metrics like graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and academic performance.

Valley Atwater Community has struggled with very low graduation rates, ranging from 37% to 75.6% over the past 5 years, and correspondingly high dropout rates of 17.8% to 50%. The school also has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 75% to 97.2%, which is much higher than the nearby Merced Union High schools. Academically, only 6-18% of 11th graders at Valley Atwater Community were proficient in English Language Arts, 0-9% in Math, and 0-1.28% in Science, which are 20-50 percentage points lower than the nearby Merced Union High schools.

The data suggests that Valley Atwater Community is facing deep-seated, systemic challenges that go beyond just one or two problem areas. The stark contrast in performance compared to the other high schools in the Merced Union High district, as well as the disparities in subgroup outcomes, raise significant equity concerns. Addressing these issues will likely require a comprehensive, targeted approach to support the unique needs of the students and community at Valley Atwater Community.

Detail:

Public 6-12

1800 Matthew Ave.
Atwater, CA 95301-2079

(209) 381-4550

District: Merced County Office of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
2236^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $32,954

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 120

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.5%

White:

10.0%

African American:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Valley Atwater Community to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Valley Atwater Community ranks worse than 97.1% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.73. (See more...)

Compare Details Valley Atwater Community ranks worse than 96.3% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.27. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Valley Atwater Community who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (82.5%), White (10%), African American (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Valley Atwater Community is 17.2. (See more...)

Compare Valley Atwater Community employs 6.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Valley Atwater Community is $32,954.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Valley Atwater Community:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Atwater Community 2696^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Valley Atwater Community in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Atwater Community 2236^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Valley Atwater Community in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Merced County Office of Education:

SchoolDigger ranks Merced County Office of Education 1459^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Valley Atwater Community?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Valley Atwater Community

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2007	4.31	1991^st	1999	0.4%
2008	5.05	1952^nd	2005	2.6%
2009	8.16	1949^th	2063	5.5%
2010	5.71	2108^th	2179	3.3%
2011	7.36	2136^th	2236	4.5%
2012	2.83	2234^th	2259	1.1%
2024	8.73	2696^th	2777	2.9%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	9.30	2506^th	2575	2.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.16	2374^th	2383	0.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Valley Atwater Community

Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2005	21.88	1326^th	1901	30.2%
2006	47.55	679^th	1968	65.5%
2007	16.21	1661^st	2063	19.5%
2008	14.51	1772^nd	2117	16.3%
2009	26.10	1574^th	2238	29.7%
2010	18.36	1688^th	2281	26.0%
2011	14.95	1854^th	2367	21.7%
2012	10.68	1992^nd	2354	15.4%
2013	11.98	2021^st	2426	16.7%
2015	7.40	1982^nd	1994	0.6%
2016	7.84	2010^th	2039	1.4%
2017	8.23	2010^th	2021	0.5%
2018	8.84	1994^th	2017	1.1%
2019	11.72	1932^nd	2133	9.4%
2021	7.41	1253^rd	1290	2.9%
2024	7.27	2236^th	2323	3.7%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	19.46	1285^th	1350	4.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	13.85	1524^th	1534	0.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	9.20	1838^th	1862	1.3%
2019	12.40	1742^nd	1937	10.1%
2021	7.62	1079^th	1126	4.2%
2024	7.18	2155^th	2235	3.6%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	7.62	1793^rd	1833	2.2%
2024	7.74	1972^nd	2098	6.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.80	1822^nd	1834	0.7%
2019	13.44	1607^th	1880	14.5%
2021	7.85	1082^nd	1122	3.6%
2024	6.26	2127^th	2172	2.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Valley Atwater Community

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.71	1684^th	1742	3.3%
2019	10.21	1715^th	1814	5.5%
2024	6.72	2052^nd	2125	3.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Valley Atwater Community.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Valley Atwater Community, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Valley Atwater Community

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	20	3	11	61	0	n/a	n/a	10	105
2006	12	3	7	86	0	n/a	n/a	5	113
2007	9	8	4	67	0	n/a	n/a	3	91
2008	11	7	3	77	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	98
2009	4	4	1	75	0	0	3	0	87
2010	6	1	0	64	0	1	4	0	76
2011	6	6	4	98	0	0	1	0	115
2012	6	7	8	84	0	0	0	0	105
2013	7	8	3	75	0	0	0	0	93
2014	14	2	0	66	0	0	2	0	84
2015	13	1	0	57	0	0	1	0	72
2016	10	1	0	49	0	0	1	0	61
2017	4	6	2	58	0	0	0	0	70
2018	10	3	0	58	0	0	1	0	72
2019	14	16	2	103	0	0	2	0	137
2020	8	10	0	66	0	0	2	0	86
2021	2	11	0	53	0	0	1	0	67
2022	1	1	0	8	0	0	0	0	10
2023	1	1	0	6	0	0	1	0	9
2024	12	6	1	99	0	0	2	0	120

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Valley Atwater Community

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	105	3.9	26.9	0
2006	113	4.5	25.1	59.3
2007	91	6.0	15.2	83
2008	98	7.0	14.0	81.6
2009	87	6.0	12.4	92
2010	76	6.0	12.6	96.1
2011	115	n/a	n/a	87
2012	105	6.8	15.3	97.1
2013	93	5.1	18.0	83.9
2014	84	6.3	13.2	85.7
2015	72	6.0	12.0	94.4
2016	61	5.0	12.2	93.4
2017	70	4.6	14.9	95.7
2018	72	3.4	20.8	91.7
2019	137	7.2	18.8	83.2
2020	86	n/a	n/a	94.2
2021	67	6.1	10.8	95.5
2022	10	2.9	3.3	70
2023	9	3.1	2.8	88.9
2024	120	6.9	17.2	94.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Valley Atwater Community

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	105	3.9	26.9	0
2006	113	4.5	25.1	59.3
2007	91	6.0	15.2	83
2008	98	7.0	14.0	81.6
2009	87	6.0	12.4	92
2010	76	6.0	12.6	96.1
2011	115	n/a	n/a	87
2012	105	6.8	15.3	97.1
2013	93	5.1	18.0	83.9
2014	84	6.3	13.2	85.7
2015	72	6.0	12.0	94.4
2016	61	5.0	12.2	93.4
2017	70	4.6	14.9	95.7
2018	72	3.4	20.8	91.7
2019	137	7.2	18.8	83.2
2020	86	n/a	n/a	94.2
2021	67	6.1	10.8	95.5
2022	10	2.9	3.3	70
2023	9	3.1	2.8	88.9
2024	120	6.9	17.2	94.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Valley Atwater Community

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$32,954

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Atwater Community

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	137	9	93.4%
African American	16	1	93.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	103	6	94.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	14	1	92.9%
Two or More Races	2	1	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.2%	88.9%	5.7%

Schools Near Valley Atwater Community

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Valley Atwater Community	Public	6-12	1800 Matthew Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4550	120	7	17.2	94.2%	12 (10.0%)	6 (5.0%)	99 (82.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	7.3	2236^th of 2323 public high schools	3.7%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0		1.3	18.2	6.3	6.0	7.2	9.1	6.3	0.0	2.4	$32,954
Atwater High	Public	9-12	2201 Fruitland Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1200	2,051	99	20.6	80.4%	281 (13.7%)	30 (1.5%)	1,651 (80.5%)	54 (2.6%)	9 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	24 (1.2%)	34.6	1292^nd of 2323 public high schools	44.4%		36.8	1233^rd of 2348 public high schools	47.5%	59		18.0		17.8			42.7	42.7			13.9	13.9	$7,848
Buhach Colony High	Public	9-12	1800 Buhach Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1400	1,658	84	19.8	73.8%	266 (16.0%)	41 (2.5%)	1,136 (68.5%)	161 (9.7%)	14 (0.8%)	6 (0.4%)	33 (2.0%)	34.2	1301^st of 2323 public high schools	44.0%		33	1331^st of 2348 public high schools	43.3%	30		18.3		18.1			46.3	46.3			8.5	8.5	$9,222
Livingston High	Public	9-12	1617 Main St.	Livingston	95334	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 398-3200	1,141	58	19.5	85.8%	38 (3.3%)	6 (0.5%)	971 (85.1%)	114 (10.0%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.5%)	23.3	1596^th of 2323 public high schools	31.3%		31.6	1371^st of 2348 public high schools	41.6%	225		13.8		13.6			32.8	32.8			7.2	7.2	$8,640
Merced County Regional Occupational Program	Public	11-12	632 West 13th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(209) 381-6740	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Come Back Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	350 West Yosemite Ave	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 386-6025	120	5	23.7	85.0%	21 (17.5%)	7 (5.8%)	86 (71.7%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	18.8	1713^th of 2323 public high schools	26.3%		14.7	1848^th of 2348 public high schools	21.3%	135			6.8	6.8
Merced High	Public	9-12	205 West Olive Ave.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1000	1,951	85	22.9	76.9%	264 (13.5%)	127 (6.5%)	1,314 (67.4%)	141 (7.2%)	12 (0.6%)	4 (0.2%)	79 (4.0%)	33	1338^th of 2323 public high schools	42.4%		40.6	1121^st of 2348 public high schools	52.3%	217		16.6	35.7	17.2			42.9	42.9			11.4	11.4	$8,868
Yosemite High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	355	23	15.3	90.1%	38 (10.7%)	25 (7.0%)	272 (76.6%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.3%)	7.8	2187^th of 2323 public high schools	5.9%		7.6	2224^th of 2348 public high schools	5.3%	37		2.8		2.6			5.4	5.4			0.0	0.0	$12,315
Independence High (Alternative)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	92	13	7.3	90.2%	15 (16.3%)	5 (5.4%)	69 (75.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	10.4	1989^th of 2323 public high schools	14.4%		14.3	1861^st of 2348 public high schools	20.7%	128		4.8		4.7			16.3	16.3			0.0	0.0	$21,835
El Capitan High	Public	9-12	100 West Farmland	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 384-5500	1,811	86	21.1	74.1%	256 (14.1%)	69 (3.8%)	1,205 (66.5%)	230 (12.7%)	4 (0.2%)	10 (0.6%)	34 (1.9%)	44	1024^th of 2323 public high schools	55.9%		35.6	1261^st of 2348 public high schools	46.3%	237		26.3	18.2	25.9			49.7	49.7			13.6	13.6	$8,947

Valley Atwater Community

Valley Atwater Community:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Merced County Office of Education:

What do you think?

Rank History for Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for all middle school students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for all high school students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school Female students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school Male students at Valley Atwater Community

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Valley Atwater Community

Enrollment information for Valley Atwater Community

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Valley Atwater Community

Student/Teacher Ratio Valley Atwater Community

Per Pupil Expenditures for Valley Atwater Community

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Atwater Community

Student Body

Schools Near Valley Atwater Community

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Atwater Community

Rate Valley Atwater Community!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!