- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merced, CA
Merced Scholars Charter
Federal NCES profile for Merced Scholars Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 069102010960Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merced Scholars Charter earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- small classes for California
- 67.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Merced Scholars Charter has class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merced Scholars Charter ranks #4 of 4 schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Merced County Office of Education · California
NCES ID 069102010960 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+16 students YoY
Merced Scholars Charter grew from 281 students in 2022-23 to 297 in 2023-24 (+5.7%).
Teacher FTE held 18.3 → 18.1 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Growing CCD campus
+16 students YoY 069102010960 · Merced, CA Other · SMALL · CHARTER
334 enr · 18.6:1 · 67.6% lunch · RII 24
Nearest enrollment peer: Merced County Special Education (942 students)
Merced Scholars Charter grew from 281 students in 2022-23 to 297 in 2023-24 (+5.7%). Teacher FTE held 18.3 → 18.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →
Merced Scholars Charter in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Merced County
Merced County Special Education
942 students
- This school 334
Merced Scholars Charter
334 students
- Valley Los Ban 160
Valley Los Banos Community
160 students
- Come Back Char 128
Come Back Charter
128 students
- Valley Atwater 122
Valley Atwater Community
122 students
- Valley Merced 99
Valley Merced Community
99 students
What this shows Merced Scholars Charter reports 334 students on the CCD universe file.
How Merced Scholars Charter compares
Merced Scholars Charter 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 | 18.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.6% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
67.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 25% in California - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$65,270
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $18,665
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 74.0%
White 16.0%
Asian 4.8%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Merced Scholars Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
District finance for Merced County Office of Education reports $65,270 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Merced Scholars Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County Special Education | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Los Banos Community | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Come Back Charter | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Atwater Community | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Merced Community | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merced Scholars Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 160
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 128
- Students per teacher
- 42.7:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 122
- Students per teacher
- 40.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Merced
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nationwide other 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.
Similar enrollment (~334 students)
Frequently asked questions about Merced Scholars Charter
How many students attend Merced Scholars Charter?
Merced Scholars Charter has 334 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merced, CA. CCD year-over-year: 281 (2022-23) → 297 (2023-24), up 16.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merced Scholars Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Merced Scholars Charter is 18.6:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merced Scholars Charter?
67.6% of students at Merced Scholars Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merced Scholars Charter?
The largest demographic group at Merced Scholars Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 74.0% of enrollment, in Merced, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merced Scholars Charter?
Merced Scholars Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Merced Scholars Charter rank among schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Merced Scholars Charter ranks #4 of 4 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 schools in Merced on the city page.
What other schools are in Merced County Office of Education?
Besides Merced Scholars Charter, Merced County Office of Education also operates Merced County Special Education (942 students), Valley Los Banos Community (160 students), and Come Back Charter (128 students). See the Merced County Office of Education district page for the complete list.