Enrollment
278
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Garden Grove, CA
Merton E. Hill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merton E. Hill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061488001851
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merton E. Hill Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #14 of 35
- elementary schools in Garden Grove · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 77.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Merton E. Hill Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merton E. Hill Elementary ranks #14 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001851 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merton E. Hill Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merton E. Hill Elementary
Merton E. Hill Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Garden Grove, California, enrolling 278 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 278 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,035 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #213.
Its student body is led by Asian (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 57/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Garden Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Patton Elementary (904 students): Merton E. Hill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.3:1 vs 29.2:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Merton E. Hill 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 Merton E. Hill Elementary compares
Merton E. Hill 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.3% | ▲ 39% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$16,783
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
Asian 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.5%
Two or More 5.0%
White 3.2%
African American 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: Asian at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Merton E. Hill Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Merton E. Hill Elementary.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Merton E. Hill Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merton E. Hill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Garden Grove
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Patton Elementary
Standard public school
904 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Ocia a. Peters Elementary
Standard public school
893 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
John Murdy Elementary
Standard public school
689 students 26.5:1 students per teacher
Lampson Elementary
Standard public school
676 students 32.2:1 students per teacher
Bryant Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Gilbert Elementary
Standard public school
515 students 25.8:1 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 (~278 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merton E. Hill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merton E. Hill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Merton E. Hill Elementary
How many students attend Merton E. Hill Elementary?
Merton E. Hill Elementary has 278 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merton E. Hill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merton E. Hill Elementary is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merton E. Hill Elementary?
77.3% of students at Merton E. Hill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merton E. Hill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merton E. Hill Elementary is Asian at 58.6% of enrollment, in Garden Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merton E. Hill Elementary?
Merton E. Hill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Merton E. Hill Elementary rank among elementary schools in Garden Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Merton E. Hill Elementary ranks #14 of 35 elementary schools in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove on the city page.
Is Merton E. Hill Elementary a good school?
Merton E. Hill Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Merton E. Hill Elementary, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.