Duane E. Furman Independent Study

Duane E. Furman Independent Study is a compact combined-grade school in Madera, California, operated by Madera Unified. The school hosts 348 students in grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 602 students per school, that is 42% below typical.

Madera Unified comprises 28 schools with combined enrollment of 19,922 students; Duane E. Furman Independent Study is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Duane E. Furman Independent Study records that 87% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. Other groups include 6% White, 2% Asian. By comparison, Madera County as a whole is about 61% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Duane E. Furman Independent Study records 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 19.7:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 18.6:1 average. About 92% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Madera County runs at roughly 81%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Madera County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $76,627 per year, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. Duane E. Furman Independent Study is one of 81 public schools in Madera County (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students).

The closest other public school is Madera Unified Adult Transition Program, roughly 0.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a suburban site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count increased 228%: 106 students in 2018 compared to 348 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 10% to 6% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 15.1:1 in 2018 to 19.7:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for Duane E. Furman Independent Study typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.