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Valley Merced Community

Q: Is Valley Merced Community a good school?

Valley Merced Community ranks in the bottom 2.2% of California alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend Valley Merced Community?

In the 2024-25 school year, 99 students attended Valley Merced Community.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Valley Merced Community?

Students at Valley Merced Community are 77% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Not Specified.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

2700^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Alternative Schools

Better than 2% of California alternative schools

Summary

Valley Merced Community is a small, alternative K-12 school serving 99 students in the Merced County Office of Education district, an area where educational outcomes are generally below state averages.

The school serves a high-needs population, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and its academic proficiency rates are very low, including 0% in mathematics. Key challenges include a high chronic absenteeism rate of over 50% and a student dropout rate of 30.6%, though its graduation rate of 69.4% is higher than the district average. With a per-student spending of $19,632 and a student-teacher ratio of 20-to-1, it operates with fewer resources per child than most other alternative schools in the county.

An interesting comparison is with Merced Scholars Charter, which shares the same building complex and a similar student population but shows dramatically better results in graduation, attendance, and test scores, suggesting different educational approaches can lead to different outcomes. Compared to other local alternative schools like Floyd A. Schelby or Merced County Juvenile Court, Valley Merced Community faces distinct challenges in serving its students, with performance metrics that have shown significant year-to-year volatility.

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$33,011

Per pupil spending ?

94.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1850 Wardrobe Ave.
Merced, CA 95341-6407

(209) 381-4500

District: Merced County Office of Education

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.8%

White:

10.1%

African American:

10.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Valley Merced Community to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2019 → 3rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (1% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school1%

District avg9%

California avg41%

Middle school

2,700^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 2%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

2,093^rd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Alternative Schools in the Merced County Office of Education

1475^th of 1,543Merced County Office of Education 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	6.8	2700 of 2761	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.4	2768 of 2781	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.9	2738 of 2740	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.4	2664 of 2715	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.5	2471 of 2480	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.1	2506 of 2508	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.9	2486 of 2497	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.9	2421 of 2477	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.8	2330 of 2379	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.6	2222 of 2259	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	3.9	2194 of 2236	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.3	2087 of 2179	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	5.4	2002 of 2063	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.4	1966 of 2005	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	4.9	1972 of 1999	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.3	1781 of 1804	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	7.6	1707 of 1777	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	9.3	1690 of 1769	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	28.5	1302 of 1521	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	5.4	2363 of 2374	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.0	2356 of 2359	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.5	2182 of 2213	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	7.5	2491 of 2542	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	2522 of 2531	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.2	2454 of 2458	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	2330 of 2369	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.8	2220 of 2230	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	6.0	2522 of 2538	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.4	2516 of 2527	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.9	2263 of 2273	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.6	2093 of 2162	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.6	2028 of 2159	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	2058 of 2170	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	1779 of 2123	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.2	1204 of 1290	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.8	1742 of 2133	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.2	1746 of 2017	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	8.9	1956 of 2021	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	10.1	1861 of 2039	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.7	1867 of 1994	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	17.8	1747 of 2426	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.6	1867 of 2354	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.7	1865 of 2367	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	16.6	1755 of 2281	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	21.0	1776 of 2238	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	16.3	1701 of 2117	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	16.6	1653 of 2063	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.1	1559 of 1968	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	20.4	1386 of 1901	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	20.0	1273 of 1653	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	24.6	1033 of 1064	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	715 of 938	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	10.6	1779 of 1915	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.1	1787 of 1858	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.7	957 of 1054	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	1545 of 1833	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.7	1539 of 1760	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.3	1837 of 1900	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	1850 of 1902	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	1838 of 1917	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	1583 of 1861	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	1501 of 1814	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	1516 of 1742	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.8	1932 of 2013	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	1905 of 2026	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.5	1903 of 2030	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	1655 of 1943	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	1020 of 1126	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.1	1756 of 1937	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	1709 of 1862	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	7.8	1888 of 1942	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	1888 of 1963	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	1524 of 1916	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	6.7	1100 of 1122	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	1585 of 1880	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.4	1670 of 1834	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	18.4	1166 of 1197	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	9.5	1097 of 1204	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.3	1076 of 1173	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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

English Language Learner (2023)14th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2023)1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)<1st percentile~ school

High school

White (2022)9th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2023)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2023)3rd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy2%-47 vs state

Science2%-31 vs state

Mathematics0%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Valley Merced Community

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)
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 8th 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 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 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
Valley Merced Community	Public, Alternative	K-12	1850 Wardrobe Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4500	99	5	20.2	94.9%	10 (10.1%)	10 (10.1%)	76 (76.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)								(n/a)	7.1	0.0	0.0	1.7					7.1	0.0	2.1					0.0	0.0	0.0							$33,011	$32,508	$503
Merced Scholars Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1850 Wardrobe Ave. Bldg. H	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-5165	334	20	16.5	79.9%	53 (15.9%)	4 (1.2%)	245 (73.4%)	16 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)								(n/a)	28.0	27.8		25.4	9.1	9.1	26.3	25.8	47.8	55.6	35.0	8.3	9.1	5.3	6.7	20.0	5.6	8.6							$32,778	$32,322	$456
Merced County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	632 West 13th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-6711	942	72	13.0	69.4%	129 (13.7%)	44 (4.7%)	679 (72.1%)	53 (5.6%)	6 (0.6%)	7 (0.7%)	24 (2.5%)								(n/a)	0.0			3.5					9.1		5.2					0.0		1.7	45.5	51.5	77.3	56.1	48.5	57.6
Merced County Juvenile Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	2840 West Sandy Mush Rd.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4528	20	1	18.0	85.0%	1 (5.0%)	2 (10.0%)	16 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)																									$98,142	$94,610	$3,532
Floyd A. Schelby	Public, Alternative	K-12	6738 North Sultana Dr.	Livingston	95334	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 394-1800	89	8	11.1	59.6%	12 (13.5%)	1 (1.1%)	68 (76.4%)	5 (5.6%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Merced Community

What is the racial makeup of Valley Merced Community?

Students at Valley Merced Community are 77% Hispanic, 10% White, 10% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Not Specified.

How many students attend Valley Merced Community?

In the 2024-25 school year, 99 students attended Valley Merced Community.

Is Valley Merced Community a good school?

Valley Merced Community ranks in the bottom 2.2% of California alternative schools.

What district is Valley Merced Community in?

Merced County Office of Education

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Schools in Merced, CA

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.