Merced County Office of Education

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Merced, California - 8 schools

An equity score of 73/100 ranks Merced County Office of Education #212 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $65,270 per pupil, Merced County Office of Education ranks #11 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,706
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$65,270
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Merced County Office of Education operates 8 public schools serving 1,706 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 1 high 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 $65,270 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 188 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 25.1% local, 44.1% state, and 30.8% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 73/100, ranked #212 of 1526 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 271.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 49.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% White, 4.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Merced County Special Education, with a diversity index of 45.5/100.

Its largest campus is Merced County Special Education, enrolling 942 students (50% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Merced County Juvenile Court, at 20 students, a 47x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Merced County Special Education accounts for 49.7% of all Merced County Office of Education student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Merced County Office of Education a distant remainder — means Merced County Office of Education-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Merced County Office of Education school enrollment varies 47× across entities

Merced County Office of Education school enrollment ranges from 20 students (lowest) to 942 students (highest), a spread of 922 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Merced County Office of Education reports 64.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Merced County Office of Education student-counselor ratio is 272:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Merced County Office of Education is typically wider than the Merced County Office of Education-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Merced County Office of Education chronic absenteeism rate is 49.6% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

30.8%
Federal
44.1%
State
25.1%
Local

Funding Equity

73
Equity Score
212 / 1526
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Merced County Office of Education.

White 11.5%
Hispanic or Latino 78.9%
African American 4.1%
Asian 2.3%
Multiracial 2.5%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Merced County Office of Education's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Merced County Special Education 45.5
  2. 2 Merced Scholars Charter 42.3
  3. 3 Floyd a. Schelby 39.4
  4. 4 Come Back Charter 37.7
  5. 5 Valley Merced Community 37.7

Programs & Resources

271.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Merced County Office of Education

School Enrollment
Merced County Special Education
942
Merced Scholars Charter
Charter
334
Valley Los Banos Community
160
Come Back Charter
Charter
128
Valley Atwater Community
122
Valley Merced Community
99
Floyd a. Schelby
89
Merced County Juvenile Court
20

How Merced County Office of Education Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Community Outreach Academy District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Live Oak Elementary Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Ross Valley Elementary Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Mariposa County Unified Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Santa Cruz City Elementary Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data

Comparisons are relative to Merced County Office of Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $22,606/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $20,783/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,909/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $18,419/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $15,921/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Merced County Office of Education

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Merced County Office of Education?

Merced County Office of Education has 8 schools, including 7 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,706 students.

How much does Merced County Office of Education spend per student?

Merced County Office of Education spends $65,270 per student. The district has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #212 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Merced County Office of Education?

Merced County Office of Education students are 78.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% White, 4.1% African American, 2.3% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Merced County Office of Education?

Merced County Office of Education has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #212 out of 1526 districts in California.