Enrollment
563
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rialto, CA
Merle S. Casey Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merle S. Casey Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063237004988
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merle S. Casey Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #8 of 16
- elementary schools in Rialto · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 82.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Merle S. Casey Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merle S. Casey Elementary ranks #8 of 16 elementary schools in Rialto, CA.
School address
District: Rialto Unified · California
NCES ID 063237004988 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merle S. Casey Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merle S. Casey Elementary
Merle S. Casey Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Rialto, California, enrolling 563 students.
At 22.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 82.8% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 563 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,987 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #845.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Rialto's elementary schools, it stands alongside Charlotte N. Werner Elementary (739 students): Merle S. Casey Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.5:1 vs 23.8:1).
Rialto Unified also operates Rialto High (2,623 students) and Eisenhower High (2,075 students) alongside Merle S. Casey 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 S. Casey Elementary compares
Merle S. Casey 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.8% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 563 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
563
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
46.4%
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
$15,995
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
2
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 94.5%
White 2.1%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.6, Merle S. Casey Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rialto Unified, which includes Merle S. Casey Elementary.
$15,995
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 72.8%
Federal 10.9%
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 Merle S. Casey Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rialto High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilmer Amina Carter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William G. Jehue Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rialto Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merle S. Casey Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,623
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,075
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,951
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Rialto
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Charlotte N. Werner Elementary
Standard public school
739 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Sam V. Curtis Elementary
Standard public school
702 students 26:1 students per teacher
J.P. Kelley Elementary
Standard public school
661 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Samuel W. Simpson Elementary
Standard public school
638 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
George H. Dunn Elementary
Standard public school
609 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Helen L. Dollahan Elementary
Standard public school
608 students 24.3:1 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 (~563 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merle S. Casey Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merle S. Casey Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rialto 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 Merle S. Casey Elementary
How many students attend Merle S. Casey Elementary?
Merle S. Casey Elementary has 563 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rialto, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merle S. Casey Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merle S. Casey Elementary is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merle S. Casey Elementary?
82.8% of students at Merle S. Casey Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merle S. Casey Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merle S. Casey Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 94.5% of enrollment, in Rialto, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merle S. Casey Elementary?
Merle S. Casey Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Merle S. Casey Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rialto?
By Resource Investment Index, Merle S. Casey Elementary ranks #8 of 16 elementary schools in Rialto, 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 Rialto on the city page.
Is Merle S. Casey Elementary a good school?
Merle S. Casey Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Rialto Unified?
Besides Merle S. Casey Elementary, Rialto Unified also operates Rialto High (2,623 students), Eisenhower High (2,075 students), and Wilmer Amina Carter High (1,951 students). See the Rialto 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.