Enrollment
608
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Los Banos, CA
Mercey Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mercey Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062274013433
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mercey Springs Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 10
- elementary schools in Los Banos · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.6:1
- large classes for California
- 69.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mercey Springs Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mercey Springs Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Los Banos, CA.
School address
District: Los Banos Unified · California
NCES ID 062274013433 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mercey Springs Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mercey Springs Elementary
Mercey Springs Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Los Banos, California, enrolling 608 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.6:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 608 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,098 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,562, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Los Banos's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grasslands Elementary (884 students): Mercey Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (27.6:1 vs 30.5:1).
Los Banos Unified also operates Pacheco High (1,725 students) and Los Banos High (1,543 students) alongside Mercey Springs 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 Mercey Springs Elementary compares
Mercey Springs 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 | 27.6:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.9% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 608 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
608
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
27.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
54.8%
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
$15,682
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 91.3%
White 4.9%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
African American 0.8%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.4, Mercey Springs Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Banos Unified, which includes Mercey Springs Elementary.
$15,682
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.4%
State 67.9%
Federal 14.7%
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 Mercey Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacheco High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Los Banos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Los Banos Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grasslands Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creekside Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mercey Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,725
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 938
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 884
- Students per teacher
- 30.5:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Los Banos
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grasslands Elementary
Standard public school
884 students 30.5:1 students per teacher
R. M. Miano Elementary
Standard public school
778 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Henry Miller Elementary
Standard public school
676 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Lorena Falasco Elementary
Standard public school
669 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Los Banos Elementary
Standard public school
622 students 34.6:1 students per teacher
Westside Union Elementary
Standard public school
573 students 24.9:1 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 (~608 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mercey Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mercey Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Los Banos 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 Mercey Springs Elementary
How many students attend Mercey Springs Elementary?
Mercey Springs Elementary has 608 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Los Banos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercey Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mercey Springs Elementary is 27.6:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mercey Springs Elementary?
69.9% of students at Mercey Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mercey Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mercey Springs Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 91.3% of enrollment, in Los Banos, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mercey Springs Elementary?
Mercey Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Mercey Springs Elementary rank among elementary schools in Los Banos?
By Resource Investment Index, Mercey Springs Elementary ranks #2 of 10 elementary schools in Los Banos, 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 Los Banos on the city page.
Is Mercey Springs Elementary a good school?
Mercey Springs Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Los Banos Unified?
Besides Mercey Springs Elementary, Los Banos Unified also operates Pacheco High (1,725 students), Los Banos High (1,543 students), and Los Banos Junior High (938 students). See the Los Banos 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.