High Schools in Golden Valley Unified

The Golden Valley Unified school district in Madera, California, operates two public high schools serving grades 9-12: the traditional Liberty High and the alternative Independence Continuation High.

Liberty High is the district's primary comprehensive high school, distinguished by a very high 95.7% graduation rate and strong performance in English Language Arts, where it significantly outpaces the state average. However, its math proficiency is notably lower than both the district and state averages. The school maintains a consistent performance ranking and has a relatively low dropout rate. In contrast, Independence Continuation High serves a much smaller population in a non-traditional setting, offering very small class sizes. While its test scores are lower, it has shown remarkable recent improvement in its statewide ranking and achieves an 84.6% graduation rate for its specialized student population.

Key considerations for families include the different educational models: Liberty High offers a standard high school experience with larger classes and higher per-student funding, while Independence Continuation provides an alternative pathway with intensive support. The district as a whole graduates students at a rate above the state average. A notable challenge across both schools, particularly at the continuation school, is chronic student absenteeism, which is associated with higher dropout rates.