Enrollment
829
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Jose, CA
Merritt Trace Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merritt Trace Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063459005741
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merritt Trace Elementary earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #149 of 154
- elementary schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23:1
- students per teacher
- 47.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Merritt Trace Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merritt Trace Elementary ranks #149 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: San Jose Unified · California
NCES ID 063459005741 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merritt Trace Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merritt Trace Elementary
Merritt Trace Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in San Jose, California, enrolling 829 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 829 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,095 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #984, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 829 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Jose's elementary schools, it stands alongside Easterbrook Discovery (952 students): Merritt Trace Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23:1 vs 22.1:1).
San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students) and Willow Glen High (1,543 students) alongside Merritt Trace 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 Merritt Trace Elementary compares
Merritt Trace 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 | 23:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.9% | ▼ 14% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 829 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
829
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
23:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 62% in California - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.4%
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
$16,122
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 829 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 71.8%
White 15.2%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 4.6%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, Merritt Trace Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Jose Unified, which includes Merritt Trace Elementary.
$16,122
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.7%
State 23.6%
Federal 8.7%
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 Merritt Trace Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merritt Trace Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in San Jose
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Easterbrook Discovery
Standard public school
952 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Orchard Elementary
Standard public school
740 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Tom Matsumoto Elementary
Standard public school
727 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Herman (Leonard) Intermediate
Standard public school
723 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Booksin Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Willow Glen Elementary
Standard public school
660 students 21.3:1 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 (~829 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merritt Trace Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merritt Trace Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Jose 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 Merritt Trace Elementary
How many students attend Merritt Trace Elementary?
Merritt Trace Elementary has 829 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merritt Trace Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merritt Trace Elementary is 23:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merritt Trace Elementary?
47.9% of students at Merritt Trace Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merritt Trace Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merritt Trace Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 71.8% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merritt Trace Elementary?
Merritt Trace Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (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 Merritt Trace Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Merritt Trace Elementary ranks #149 of 154 elementary schools in San Jose, 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 San Jose on the city page.
Is Merritt Trace Elementary a good school?
Merritt Trace Elementary earns 13/100 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 San Jose Unified?
Besides Merritt Trace Elementary, San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students), Willow Glen High (1,543 students), and Leland High (1,471 students). See the San Jose 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.