Madera Unified School District

Madera Unified School District is a public school district serving Madera, California.

Madera Unified School District
Address
1902 Howard Road
Madera
, California, 93637
United States
District information
TypePublic
MottoMadera Unified is where students are challenged to broaden their vision, inspired by meaningful opportunities and strive for authentic achievements.
GradesK–12[1]
Established1966
SuperintendentTodd Lile
NCES District ID0623340 [1]
Students and staff
Students19,941 (2020–2021)[1]
Teachers914.2 (FTE)[1]
Staff1,017.98 (FTE)[1]
Student–teacher ratio21.81:1[1]
Other information
Websitewww.madera.k12.ca.us

History

The district was first incorporated in 1966 to consolidate the administration of schools in and around the City of Madera. The district has 28 schools (14 K-6 elementary schools, 4 K-8 country schools, 3 middle schools, 2 high schools, 2 alternative education centers, one adult school, and a preschool program). In recent years, M.U.S.D has added 7 new schools (4 elementary schools and 1 middle school) and completed two high schools: Madera South High School (formerly named Madera High School - South Campus) and Matilda Torres High School.[2]

Voting Rights Act lawsuit

Madera Unified's capitulation when faced with a 2008 lawsuit about the manner in which school board trustees were elected, as well as a judge's related ruling on the matter, has reportedly influenced other California school districts and other governmental bodies to change from at-large representation, which dominates the state's school districts, to a by-district system. Four Madera plaintiffs, represented by San Francisco-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, alleged that the at-large voting system resulted in racial polarization that resulted in the city's Latino majority of 82 percent being politically marginalized, which they said violated the state's 2002 Voting Rights Act.[3] That statistic is slightly misleading, however, as only 44 percent of those eligible to vote in an MUSD election were Latinos, according to a press release by Anayma DeFrias of the aforementioned LCCR. The Madera case was one of the first to be filed under the California Voting Rights Act.[4] The school district settled out of court without admitting guilt but agreeing to change how school board trustees were elected, according to The Madera Tribune daily newspaper in 2008.

Recent superintendents

The Madera Unified School Board placed Superintendent John Stafford on leave with pay for the remainder of the 2010-11 school year. No reason was given. After a short search a new superintendent, Gustavo Balderas, was hired in 2011 on a three-year contract. Balderas surprised the district by resigning to take another superintendent position in Southern California in 2012. During the search for a replacement for Balderas accusations were made of improper conduct by several board members in regards to the search, and that search was aborted and an investigation launched. In the meantime the board rehired former superintendent Julie O'Kane as interim. In July 2013 it was announced that Ed Gonzales, former teacher and principal in Madera Unified, was hired as superintendent.

Schools

Elementary schools
  • John Adams Elementary School
  • Alpha Elementary School
  • Berenda Elementary School
  • Caesar E. Chavez Elementary School
  • Eastin-Arcola Elementary School
  • Lincoln Elementary School
  • James Madison Elementary School
  • Millview Elementary School
  • James Monroe Elementary School
  • Nishimoto Elementary School
  • Parkwood Elementary School
  • John J. Pershing Elementary School
  • Sierra Vista Elementary School
  • George Washington Elementary School
  • Virginia Lee Rose Elementary School

Middle schools
  • Jack G. Desmond Middle School
  • Martin Luther King Jr, Middle School
  • Thomas Jefferson Middle School

High schools

K-8 schools
  • Dixieland School
  • Howard School
  • La Vina School
  • Eastin Arcola

Alternative education
  • Furman High School
  • Adult Education

References
  1. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Madera Unified". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  2. "Matilda Torres High - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education)". Archived from the original on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  3. "Madera Unified case is changing elections throughout California," Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 2009, http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/04/local/me-madera4 Archived 2009-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Voters Sue Madera Unified School District," Indybay, Aug. 21, 2008, http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/21/18528496.php Archived 2010-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
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