Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merced, CA

Margaret Sheehy Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Margaret Sheehy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062460003694
0/100100/10027/100
👥 S:T ratio
12
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Margaret Sheehy Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.

#2 of 19
elementary schools in Merced · Resource Index
27
Resource Index · Lower
21.9:1
students per teacher
91.4%
free-lunch eligible

Margaret Sheehy Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Sheehy Elementary ranks #2 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, CA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-30 students YoY

Margaret Sheehy Elementary shrank from 533 students in 2022-23 to 503 in 2023-24 (-5.6%).

Teacher FTE held 22.1 → 21.9 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-30 students YoY 062460003694 · Merced, CA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

481 enr · 21.9:1 · 91.4% lunch · RII 27

Nearest enrollment peer: Rudolph Rivera Elementary (917 students)

Margaret Sheehy Elementary shrank from 533 students in 2022-23 to 503 in 2023-24 (-5.6%). Teacher FTE held 22.1 → 21.9 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

Margaret Sheehy Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Margaret Sheehy Elementary reports 481 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Margaret Sheehy Elementary compares

Margaret Sheehy Elementary is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 21.9:1 ▲ 2% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 91.4% ▲ 65% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 481 top 48% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
91.4%
free-lunch eligible - 65% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.9:1
students per teacher - 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
57.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,186
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 82.1%
African American 6.9%
Asian 4.0%
White 3.3%
Two or More 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 31.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 31.7, Margaret Sheehy Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Merced City Elementary reports $15,186 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Margaret Sheehy Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Rudolph Rivera Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Luther Burbank Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Allan Peterson Elementary Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Joe Stefani Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Margaret Sheehy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Merced City Elementary · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Merced

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Margaret Sheehy Elementary

How many students attend Margaret Sheehy Elementary?

Margaret Sheehy Elementary has 481 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merced, CA. CCD year-over-year: 533 (2022-23) → 503 (2023-24), down 30.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Margaret Sheehy Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Margaret Sheehy Elementary is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Margaret Sheehy Elementary?

91.4% of students at Margaret Sheehy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Margaret Sheehy Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Margaret Sheehy Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 82.1% of enrollment, in Merced, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Margaret Sheehy Elementary?

Margaret Sheehy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Margaret Sheehy Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merced?

By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Sheehy Elementary ranks #2 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Merced on the city page.

What other schools are in Merced City Elementary?

Besides Margaret Sheehy Elementary, Merced City Elementary also operates Rudolph Rivera Elementary (917 students), Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary (722 students), and Luther Burbank Elementary (716 students). See the Merced City Elementary district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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