Jack G. Desmond Middle

Jack G. Desmond Middle is a public school serving about 840 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Madera Unified School District in Madera, CA, an area where the vast majority of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges, with student test scores in English and especially math falling well below state averages, though its science scores are a relative strength compared to other schools in the district like Thomas Jefferson Middle and Martin Luther King Junior Middle. A major concern is chronic absenteeism, where nearly 30% of students miss too much school, a rate higher than both the district and state. The school spends over $20,000 per student, which is more than many nearby schools, but this higher spending has not led to stronger academic results.

An interesting point of comparison is the nearby Sherman Thomas STEM Academy, less than half a mile away, which achieves exceptionally high test scores with a different educational model and lower per-student spending. While Desmond Middle struggles within its district context, it performs better for some groups of students, such as English learners, though performance for students in special education has declined sharply in recent years.