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

Mcswain Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Mcswain Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062436003654
0/100100/10025/100
👥 S:T ratio
9
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Mcswain Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.

#3 of 19
elementary schools in Merced · Resource Index
25
Resource Index · Lower
22.8:1
students per teacher
33.5%
free-lunch eligible

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

By Resource Investment Index, Mcswain Elementary ranks #3 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, CA.

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

+56 students YoY

Mcswain Elementary grew from 883 students in 2022-23 to 939 in 2023-24 (+6.3%).

Teacher FTE added 40.9 → 42.4 across the same CCD years.

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

Growing CCD campus

+56 students YoY 062436003654 · Merced, CA Elementary · MID · TRAD

912 enr · 22.8:1 · 33.5% lunch · RII 25

Nearest enrollment peer: South Buffalo Charter School (912 students)

Mcswain Elementary grew from 883 students in 2022-23 to 939 in 2023-24 (+6.3%). Teacher FTE added 40.9 → 42.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

How Mcswain Elementary compares

Mcswain Elementary is a growing 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 22.8:1 ▲ 6% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 33.5% ▼ 40% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 912 top 13% - -

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

22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
912
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible - 40% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher - 6% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,945
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 912 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 50.9%
White 38.8%
Asian 6.1%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 58.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Mcswain Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

District finance for Mcswain Union Elementary reports $13,945 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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 Mcswain Elementary

How many students attend Mcswain Elementary?

Mcswain Elementary has 912 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merced, CA. CCD year-over-year: 883 (2022-23) → 939 (2023-24), up 56.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcswain Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Mcswain Elementary is 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcswain Elementary?

33.5% of students at Mcswain Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcswain Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Mcswain Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.9% of enrollment, in Merced, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcswain Elementary?

Mcswain Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Mcswain Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merced?

By Resource Investment Index, Mcswain Elementary ranks #3 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 Mcswain Union Elementary?

None reported; Mcswain Union Elementary operates only Mcswain Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.

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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