Enrollment
617
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Covina, CA
Merced Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merced Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064200006880
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merced Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of California schools.
- #1 of 15
- elementary schools in West Covina · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29.4:1
- large classes for California
- 60.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Merced Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merced Elementary ranks #1 of 15 elementary schools in West Covina, CA.
School address
District: West Covina Unified · California
NCES ID 064200006880 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merced Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merced Elementary
Merced Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in West Covina, California, enrolling 617 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.4:1 is larger than about 95% of California schools and 37% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 617 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,798 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #46, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and Asian (29%) (diversity index 49/100).
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among West Covina's elementary schools, it stands alongside San Jose Charter Academy (1,255 students): Merced Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.4:1 vs 22.8:1).
West Covina Unified also operates West Covina High (1,756 students) and Hollencrest Middle (737 students) alongside Merced Elementary.
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 Merced Elementary compares
Merced Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29.4:1 | ▲ 37% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.3% | ▲ 9% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 617 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.4:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
617
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
29.4:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 95% in California - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$17,197
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 65.3%
Asian 28.5%
White 3.4%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Merced Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Covina Unified, which includes Merced Elementary.
$17,197
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.9%
State 65.2%
Federal 11.9%
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 Merced Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Covina High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hollencrest Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edgewood High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orangewood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merced Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,756
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 597
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 580
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in West Covina
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
San Jose Charter Academy
Standard public school
1,255 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Mesa Elementary
Standard public school
753 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Telesis Academy of Science & Math
Standard public school
621 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Grovecenter Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
Orangewood Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Merlinda Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 25.6:1 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 (~617 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merced Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merced Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- West Covina 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 Merced Elementary
How many students attend Merced Elementary?
Merced Elementary has 617 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Covina, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merced Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merced Elementary is 29.4:1, which is 37% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 87% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merced Elementary?
60.3% of students at Merced Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merced Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merced Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.3% of enrollment, in West Covina, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merced Elementary?
Merced Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Merced Elementary rank among elementary schools in West Covina?
By Resource Investment Index, Merced Elementary ranks #1 of 15 elementary schools in West Covina, 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 West Covina on the city page.
Is Merced Elementary a good school?
Merced Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 West Covina Unified?
Besides Merced Elementary, West Covina Unified also operates West Covina High (1,756 students), Hollencrest Middle (737 students), and Edgewood High (712 students). See the West Covina 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.