Enrollment
863
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Orange, CA
Mcpherson Magnet
Federal NCES profile for Mcpherson Magnet, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062865007195
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcpherson Magnet earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools.
- #2 of 17
- elementary schools in Orange · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27:1
- large classes for California
- 25.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcpherson Magnet has class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcpherson Magnet ranks #2 of 17 elementary schools in Orange, CA.
School address
District: Orange Unified · California
NCES ID 062865007195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcpherson Magnet compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcpherson Magnet
Mcpherson Magnet is a large elementary school in Orange, California, enrolling 863 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27:1 is larger than about 89% of California schools and 26% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 863 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,050 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #469.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (25%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 863 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Orange's elementary schools, it stands alongside California Iinspire Academy (699 students): Mcpherson Magnet is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (27:1 vs 33.3:1).
Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students) and Villa Park High (2,023 students) alongside Mcpherson Magnet.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcpherson Magnet compares
Mcpherson Magnet on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27:1 | ▲ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.4% | ▼ 54% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 863 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
863
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 89% in California - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,036
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 863 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 53.3%
White 25.3%
Asian 11.9%
Two or More 8.1%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.1, Mcpherson Magnet is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange Unified, which includes Mcpherson Magnet.
$14,036
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 35.0%
Federal 11.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Mcpherson Magnet Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Villa Park High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Modena High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orange High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Rancho Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcpherson Magnet's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,183
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,023
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,795
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 29.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Orange
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
California Iinspire Academy
Standard public school
699 students 33.3:1 students per teacher
Fletcher Mandarin Language & Gate Academy
Standard public school
493 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science
Standard public school
430 students 30.7:1 students per teacher
Palmyra Elementary
Standard public school
429 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Cambridge Elementary
Standard public school
415 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
West Orange Elementary
Standard public school
410 students 31.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~863 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcpherson Magnet's federal record.
- Compare Mcpherson Magnet against another school. Compare schools
- Orange Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mcpherson Magnet
How many students attend Mcpherson Magnet?
Mcpherson Magnet has 863 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Orange, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcpherson Magnet?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcpherson Magnet is 27:1, which is 26% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 72% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcpherson Magnet?
25.4% of students at Mcpherson Magnet are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcpherson Magnet?
The largest demographic group at Mcpherson Magnet is Hispanic or Latino at 53.3% of enrollment, in Orange, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcpherson Magnet?
Mcpherson Magnet has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mcpherson Magnet rank among elementary schools in Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcpherson Magnet ranks #2 of 17 elementary schools in Orange, 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 Orange on the city page.
Is Mcpherson Magnet a good school?
Mcpherson Magnet earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Orange Unified?
Besides Mcpherson Magnet, Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students), Villa Park High (2,023 students), and El Modena High (1,795 students). See the Orange Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.