High Schools in Linden City

Linden High School is the only high school in the Linden City district, serving grades 9-12 with 126 students in a small, high-poverty community where 87.3% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

This single school shows a striking mix of progress and persistent challenges. The most dramatic story is in mathematics: proficiency jumped from just 3% in 2024-25 to 29% in 2025-26, now actually exceeding the state average of 27%. That is a nearly tenfold improvement in one year, a remarkable turnaround for any school. However, English and science remain well below state levels—16% vs. 34% in English, and 26% vs. 36% in science. The school's overall state ranking has climbed from the 7th percentile (2023-24) to the 44th percentile (2025-26), now earning 2 stars, a clear sign of upward momentum. Still, the graduation rate of 81.6% trails the state's 91.5%, and chronic absenteeism affects 20.7% of students—nearly double the state average of 12%.

With only 126 students, each child represents nearly 1% of the school population, so individual student performance can swing overall percentages dramatically. The favorable 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio means classes are small and teachers have the capacity for personalized attention. Per-student spending of $10,787 is modest, but the school's recent math gains suggest resources may be shifting toward what works. For parents, the key takeaway is that Linden High School is a school in transition—showing real academic improvement, especially in math, but still facing significant hurdles in literacy, attendance, and keeping students through graduation. Since this is the district's only high school, any gains here directly lift the entire district's standing.