Summary:
ZIP code 93280 has two public high schools serving grades 9–12: Wasco High, with 1,672 students, and Wasco Independence High, with 109. In 2025–2026, Wasco High had higher all-grades proficiency in every subject: 64% versus 19% in English language arts (ELA), 23% versus 0% in math, and 22% versus 18% in science. The clearest difference for families is the 45-point ELA gap between the schools.
Wasco High stands out as the stronger overall academic performer: it was 14 points above the state in ELA, although 16 points below in math and 14 points below in science. Wasco Independence High was below the state in all three subjects. Attendance is another important contrast: chronic absenteeism was 16% at Wasco High, near the state’s 18%, but 60% at Independence. Independence’s 88% graduation rate was about level with the state’s 88%, while its 5% dropout rate was below the state’s 8%. Grade-level science results show an exception for Wasco High: its grade-12 proficiency was 34%, above the state’s 33%, even though its all-grades science result was below the state.
Recent results show mixed progress. Wasco High gained 6 points in ELA and 1 in science, while Independence lost 6 points in ELA but gained 7 in science; math fell at both schools, by 2 points at Wasco High and 4 at Independence. The two-school average was essentially unchanged in ELA, fell 3 points in math, and rose 4 in science. SchoolDigger gives Wasco High 3 stars and a 52nd-percentile ranking, versus 1 star and the 18th percentile for Independence; both percentile rankings have declined since 2023–2024. For context, in 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible was reported at 88% at Wasco High and 96% at Independence; student–teacher ratios were 21.4 and 17.6, respectively. Independence’s smaller enrollment is worth keeping in mind when comparing school-level results.
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