Enrollment
508
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chowchilla, CA
Merle L. Fuller Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merle L. Fuller 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 060852000849
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merle L. Fuller Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Chowchilla · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.3:1
- students per teacher
- 82.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Merle L. Fuller Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merle L. Fuller Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Chowchilla, CA.
School address
District: Chowchilla Elementary · California
NCES ID 060852000849 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merle L. Fuller Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merle L. Fuller Elementary
Merle L. Fuller Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Chowchilla, California, enrolling 508 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 508 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,030 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,035.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (17%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chowchilla's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ronald Reagan Elementary (490 students): Merle L. Fuller Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.3:1 vs 25.8:1).
Chowchilla Elementary also operates Ronald Reagan Elementary (490 students) and Wilson Middle (470 students) alongside Merle L. Fuller 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 Merle L. Fuller Elementary compares
Merle L. Fuller 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 | 20.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 48% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 508 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
508
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in California - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
60.0%
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
$14,144
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 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 76.8%
White 16.9%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.0, Merle L. Fuller Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chowchilla Elementary, which includes Merle L. Fuller Elementary.
$14,144
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 69.4%
Federal 11.4%
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 Merle L. Fuller Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairmead Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stephens Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merle L. Fuller Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 217
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary schools in Chowchilla
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Fairmead Elementary
Standard public school
458 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Stephens Elementary
Standard public school
217 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Dairyland Elementary
Standard public school
216 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Alview Elementary
Standard public school
183 students 26.1:1 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 (~508 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merle L. Fuller Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merle L. Fuller Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chowchilla Elementary'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 Merle L. Fuller Elementary
How many students attend Merle L. Fuller Elementary?
Merle L. Fuller Elementary has 508 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chowchilla, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merle L. Fuller Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merle L. Fuller Elementary is 20.3:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Merle L. Fuller Elementary?
82.2% of students at Merle L. Fuller Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merle L. Fuller Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merle L. Fuller Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 76.8% of enrollment, in Chowchilla, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merle L. Fuller Elementary?
Merle L. Fuller Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Merle L. Fuller Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chowchilla?
By Resource Investment Index, Merle L. Fuller Elementary ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Chowchilla, 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 Chowchilla on the city page.
Is Merle L. Fuller Elementary a good school?
Merle L. Fuller Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Chowchilla Elementary?
Besides Merle L. Fuller Elementary, Chowchilla Elementary also operates Ronald Reagan Elementary (490 students), Wilson Middle (470 students), and Fairmead Elementary (458 students). See the Chowchilla Elementary 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.