Enrollment
1,920
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tracy, CA
Merrill F. West High
Federal NCES profile for Merrill F. West High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060004707371
👥 S:T ratio 18
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrill F. West High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 5
- high schools in Tracy · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.6:1
- students per teacher
- 47.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrill F. West High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill F. West High ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Tracy, CA.
School address
District: Tracy Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060004707371 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrill F. West High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrill F. West High
Merrill F. West High is a large high school in Tracy, California, enrolling 1,920 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,920 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 305 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and Asian (20%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 40 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tracy's high schools, it stands alongside Tracy High (1,739 students): Merrill F. West High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.6:1 vs 22.9:1).
Tracy Joint Unified also operates Tracy High (1,739 students) and John C. Kimball High (1,587 students) alongside Merrill F. West High.
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 Merrill F. West High compares
Merrill F. West High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.6:1 | ▼ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.0% | ▼ 15% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,920 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,920
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 40% in California - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$13,818
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
Counselors6.3 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
103
in-school suspensions + 161 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 40 expulsions.
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 58.1%
Asian 20.4%
White 11.4%
African American 4.6%
Two or More 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Merrill F. West High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tracy Joint Unified, which includes Merrill F. West High.
$13,818
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.5%
State 61.7%
Federal 8.8%
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 Merrill F. West High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracy High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John C. Kimball High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Kelly Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South/West Park Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Art Freiler | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrill F. West High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,739
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,587
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar high schools in Tracy
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Tracy High
Standard public school
1,739 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
John C. Kimball High
Standard public school
1,587 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Millennium Charter
Standard public school
436 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
George and Evelyn Stein Continuation
Alternative education program
121 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,920 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrill F. West High's federal record.
- Compare Merrill F. West High against another school. Compare schools
- Tracy Joint 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 Merrill F. West High
How many students attend Merrill F. West High?
Merrill F. West High has 1,920 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tracy, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrill F. West High?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrill F. West High is 20.6:1, which is 4% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Merrill F. West High?
47.0% of students at Merrill F. West High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrill F. West High?
The largest demographic group at Merrill F. West High is Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment, in Tracy, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrill F. West High?
Merrill F. West High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Merrill F. West High rank among high schools in Tracy?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill F. West High ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Tracy, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Tracy on the city page.
Is Merrill F. West High a good school?
Merrill F. West High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Tracy Joint Unified?
Besides Merrill F. West High, Tracy Joint Unified also operates Tracy High (1,739 students), John C. Kimball High (1,587 students), and George Kelly Elementary (929 students). See the Tracy Joint 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.