Merced County Office of Education

Merced, California — 8 schools

1,706
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$103,029
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, 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 other, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,894 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Merced County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $103,029 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 25.1% local, 44.1% state, and 30.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $234,299 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 85/100, ranked #28 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 271.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 55.9% 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.

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

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Merced County Office of Education-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Merced County Office of Education has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.8% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Merced County Office of Education chronic absenteeism rate is 55.9% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

30.8%
Federal
44.1%
State
25.1%
Local

Funding Equity

85
Equity Score
28 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Merced County county, where this district is located.

$1,116
Studio/mo
$1,213
1 BR/mo
$1,503
2 BR/mo
$2,067
3 BR/mo
$2,503
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$234,299
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

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.

Programs & Resources

271.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
55.9%
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

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 · $25,877/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
Compare vs Merced County Office of Education →

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 other, 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 $103,029 per student. The district has an equity score of 85/100, ranking #28 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Merced County Office of Education?

The average teacher salary in Merced County Office of Education is $234,299 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Merced County Office of Education?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Merced County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

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 85/100, ranking #28 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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