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Merced, California - 19 schools
An equity score of 48/100 ranks Merced City Elementary #812 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,984 per pupil, Merced City Elementary ranks #1210 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
10,973
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$13,984
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Merced City Elementary operates 19 public schools serving 10,973 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 elementary, 4 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Merced County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,984 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 11.4% local, 74.4% state, and 14.2% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #812 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 623.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 46.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% White, 8.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Merced City School District Community Day, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
Merced City Elementary school enrollment varies 42× across entities
Merced City Elementary school enrollment ranges from 22 students (lowest) to 917 students (highest), a spread of 895 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Merced City Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 73.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Merced City Elementary student-counselor ratio is 624:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Merced City Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 46.1% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Merced City Elementary has 19 schools, including 15 elementary, 4 middle. Total enrollment is 10,973 students.
How much does Merced City Elementary spend per student?
Merced City Elementary spends $13,984 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #812 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Merced City Elementary?
Merced City Elementary students are 69.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% White, 8.2% Asian, 5.3% African American, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Merced City Elementary?
Merced City Elementary has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #812 out of 1517 districts in California.