Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Independence

Q: Is Independence a good school?

Independence ranks 1630 th of 2761 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

1630^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Alternative Schools

Better than 41% of California alternative schools

Summary

Independence is a small, K-12 alternative public school serving 166 students within the Lodi Unified School District, facing significant challenges with student attendance and graduation rates despite a favorable student-teacher ratio.

The school's most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism, with nearly half of students missing too much school—a rate more than double the district average and far higher than nearby schools like Valley Robotics Academy (5.3%). This likely contributes to its lower graduation rate of 69.4%, which trails the state average. Academically, the school presents a mixed picture: its 50% proficiency in English Language Arts is a relative strength and exceeds the district average, but its 13% proficiency in mathematics is a critical area of concern.

Comparisons with other alternative schools in the region show that outcomes can vary widely. While Valley Robotics Academy achieves a 100% graduation rate and Rio Valley Charter has minimal absenteeism, Independence struggles in these areas. This suggests that the "alternative school" model itself does not determine success, and that factors like instructional approach and attendance interventions are key. The school spends over $15,000 per student, but this investment has not yet translated into stronger overall outcomes compared to some peers with similar resources.

166

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,319

Per pupil spending ?

72.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13451 North Extension Rd.
Lodi, CA 95242-9249

(209) 331-8275

District: Lodi Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.4%

White:

18.1%

Asian:

18.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Independence to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2019 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2019

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (29% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the California average (69% vs 88%)

!High chronic absenteeism (49% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg32%

California avg41%

Middle school

1,630^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

1,339^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 27% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Alternative Schools in the Lodi Unified

980^th of 1,543Lodi Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	1630 of 2761	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1701 of 2783	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	1460 of 2740	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.5	410 of 894	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.6	1186 of 2715	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	24.8	1820 of 2480	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.6	2117 of 2497	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	5.5	2315 of 2379	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	6.8	2173 of 2259	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	50.2	1090 of 2236	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	12.5	2011 of 2179	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	16.6	1808 of 2063	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.6	1664 of 2005	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	12.4	1835 of 1999	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.9	1624 of 1804	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	21.0	1424 of 1777	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	29.3	1210 of 1769	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	7.5	672 of 733	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	33.5	1567 of 2551	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.9	1174 of 2509	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.1	647 of 2380	72.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	33.6	1505 of 2359	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	28.4	1849 of 2579	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.2	979 of 2458	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	608 of 2369	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	18.0	1964 of 2230	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	28.1	1732 of 2527	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	1339 of 2162	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.5	971 of 2159	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.1	1551 of 2170	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	58.8	739 of 2123	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.8	770 of 1290	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.9	1453 of 2133	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	1246 of 2017	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.2	1378 of 2021	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.0	1430 of 2039	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.4	1447 of 1994	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.6	1090 of 2426	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	20.7	1594 of 2354	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	18.8	1677 of 2367	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	23.4	1489 of 2281	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	32.7	1278 of 2238	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	29.0	1199 of 2117	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	29.0	1159 of 2063	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	37.5	906 of 1968	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	29.9	1055 of 1901	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	26.4	1029 of 1653	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	1572 of 1906	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.8	1049 of 1915	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.8	1470 of 1915	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.0	824 of 1858	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	637 of 1054	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.2	1345 of 1833	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.3	1044 of 1760	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	50.3	897 of 1902	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	17.3	1589 of 1917	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.6	717 of 1861	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.5	1259 of 1814	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	1125 of 1742	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	1228 of 2013	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.8	883 of 2026	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	1305 of 2030	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.0	543 of 1943	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	42.7	665 of 1126	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.9	1398 of 1937	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	1302 of 1862	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.7	754 of 1948	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.9	1332 of 1963	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.2	522 of 1916	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	35.8	714 of 1122	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.2	1322 of 1880	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	1364 of 1834	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	31.0	847 of 1204	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.3	973 of 1222	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	933 of 1173	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Female (2024)39th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2022)36th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2022)31st percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)28th percentile-11 vs school

Asian (2022)8th percentile-38 vs school

High school

Male (2024)61st percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2024)53rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile~ school

White (2022)30th percentile-36 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy50%~ state avg

Science22%-11 vs state

Mathematics13%-24 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Independence and help other families decide.

Rate Independence

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Independence

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2025)						Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence	Public, Alternative	K-12	13451 North Extension Rd.	Lodi	95242	San Joaquin County	Lodi Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 331-8275	166	12	14.1	72.3%	30 (18.1%)	10 (6.0%)	87 (52.4%)	30 (18.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.6%)								(n/a)		25.0		14.3		21.6						50.0	50.0	50.0						0.0	14.3	13.0							$15,319	$2,065	$13,254
Valley Robotics Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	13451 North Extension Rd.	Lodi	95242	San Joaquin County	Lodi Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 331-8008	278	14	20.1	50.7%	87 (31.3%)	15 (5.4%)	92 (33.1%)	63 (22.7%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.5%)	13 (4.7%)								(n/a)	15.0	38.7		53.3		34.9	44.0	50.0	30.0	40.9	36.8	45.2	50.0	42.0	32.0	25.0	5.0	23.8	31.6	38.7	50.0	29.6							$16,843	$2,271	$14,572
Rio Valley Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1110 West Kettleman Drive Ste.	Lodi	95240	San Joaquin County	Rio Valley Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 368-4934	714	32	22.4	65.4%	267 (37.4%)	31 (4.3%)	257 (36.0%)	118 (16.5%)	20 (2.8%)	8 (1.1%)	13 (1.8%)								(n/a)	40.0	34.7	50.0	36.1	35.7	37.4	47.7	39.4	61.0	51.2	50.0	42.3	57.1	49.9	41.9	36.4	31.7	36.6	34.9	26.4	17.5	30.9	42.2	48.9	62.2	44.4	48.9	46.7	$14,782	$1,052	$13,730
Vista Oaks Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	315 South Lower Sacramento Ste	Lodi	95242	San Joaquin County	Vista Oaks Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 365-4060	999	40	24.7	32.0%	441 (44.1%)	26 (2.6%)	317 (31.7%)	81 (8.1%)	6 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	120 (12.0%)								(n/a)	40.0	40.8	58.3	33.3	40.0	39.9	44.4	52.9	45.3	46.0	54.2	55.8	58.5	51.1	43.1	43.5	29.3	33.3	36.1	32.5	20.3	34.5	48.7	55.1	65.4	52.6	56.4	57.7	$14,236	$759	$13,477
ABLE Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	6515 Inglewood Ave.	Stockton	95207	San Joaquin County	ABLE Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 478-1600	1,186	58	20.4	80.2%	81 (6.8%)	116 (9.8%)	805 (67.9%)	97 (8.2%)	4 (0.3%)	9 (0.8%)	74 (6.2%)								(n/a)	14.6	20.9		31.3		21.8	33.7	37.4	36.0	25.3	53.1	46.2	59.3	41.6	29.2	24.1	16.9	8.1	21.9	39.1	11.1	21.7							$16,566	$928	$15,638
District Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	1541 East March Ln.	Stockton	95210	San Joaquin County	Stockton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 933-7120	112	7	16.6	68.8%	12 (10.7%)	6 (5.4%)	73 (65.2%)	14 (12.5%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.8%)	3 (2.7%)								(n/a)
Walton Development Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	4131 North Crown Ave.	Stockton	95207	San Joaquin County	Stockton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 933-7315	95	11	8.8	76.8%	6 (6.3%)	14 (14.7%)	56 (58.9%)	12 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	6 (6.3%)								(n/a)																													$114,154	$21,713	$92,441
KIPP Stockton	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	742 Dallas Ave.	Stockton	95206	San Joaquin County	KIPP Stockton District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 888-1686	265	16	16.5	84.5%	7 (2.6%)	50 (18.9%)	176 (66.4%)	10 (3.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.5%)								(n/a)	6.9	32.6				22.2	19.1	26.1	7.1	16.0	14.8	45.2		23.5	19.1	26.1	0.0	19.2	22.2	26.2		19.1							$44,884	$2,400	$42,484
John F. Cruikshank Junior	Public, Alternative	K-12	2707 Transworld Dr.	Stockton	95206	San Joaquin County	San Joaquin County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 468-4847	46	7	6.5	93.5%	9 (19.6%)	10 (21.7%)	23 (50.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.5%)								(n/a)																													$26,566	$00	$26,566
San Joaquin County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	2707 Transworld Dr.	Stockton	95206	San Joaquin County	San Joaquin County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 468-9279	904	103	8.8	41.2%	131 (14.5%)	83 (9.2%)	406 (44.9%)	210 (23.2%)	13 (1.4%)	6 (0.7%)	55 (6.1%)								(n/a)						10.0								7.0								7.0	82.4	86.8		83.5	87.9	83.5	$67,766	$2,195	$65,571

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence

What district is Independence in?

Lodi Unified

Is Independence a good school?

Independence ranks 1630^th of 2761 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Independence?

Students at Independence are 52% Hispanic, 18% White, 18% Asian, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Independence?

In the 2024-25 school year, 166 students attended Independence.

Rate Independence!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Alternative School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Lodi, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Independence!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.