McFarland High School is part of the McFarland School District located in the small rural community of McFarland with a population of 9,837. McFarland's motto is "The Heartbeat of Agriculture" because of its major emphasis on agriculture production in almonds, grapes, oranges, roses, cotton and dairy cattle in which most families are employed.  Approximately 860 students attend McFarland High with about 3,000 enrolled in the entire district.

      The school's ethnic diversity consists of 93% Hispanic and 7% Caucasian or others with more than 60% receiving free or reduced lunch subsidies. The school places an emphasis on accommodating limited English speaking students by offering three levels of ELS classes in the Academy Program. Over the last four years, McFarland High School has steadily witnessed an increase in student achievement, and their Academic Performance Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores reflect this fact.