Enrollment
462
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Covina, CA
Merwin Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merwin Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061005001100
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merwin Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools.
- #1 of 9
- elementary schools in Covina · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 70.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Merwin Elementary has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merwin Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Covina, CA.
School address
District: Covina-Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 061005001100 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merwin Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merwin Elementary
Merwin Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Covina, California, enrolling 462 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 462 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 2,088 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #164, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Covina's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cedargrove Elementary (569 students): Merwin Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 24.7:1).
Covina-Valley Unified also operates South Hills High (1,568 students) and Northview High (1,247 students) alongside Merwin 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 Merwin Elementary compares
Merwin 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.2% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
462
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$15,106
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 87.0%
Asian 7.1%
White 2.4%
African American 1.9%
Two or More 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.7, Merwin Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Covina-Valley Unified, which includes Merwin Elementary.
$15,106
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 61.7%
Federal 12.3%
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 Merwin Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Covina High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Las Palmas Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merwin Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,247
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in Covina
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cedargrove Elementary
Standard public school
569 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Cypress Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Barranca Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 24:1 students per teacher
Ben Lomond Elementary
Standard public school
506 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
Badillo Elementary
Standard public school
442 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Glen Oak Elementary
Standard public school
428 students 22.5:1 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 (~462 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merwin Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merwin Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Covina-Valley 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 Merwin Elementary
How many students attend Merwin Elementary?
Merwin Elementary has 462 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Covina, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merwin Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merwin Elementary is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merwin Elementary?
70.2% of students at Merwin Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merwin Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merwin Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 87.0% of enrollment, in Covina, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merwin Elementary?
Merwin Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Merwin Elementary rank among elementary schools in Covina?
By Resource Investment Index, Merwin Elementary ranks #1 of 9 elementary schools in Covina, 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 Covina on the city page.
Is Merwin Elementary a good school?
Merwin Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Covina-Valley Unified?
Besides Merwin Elementary, Covina-Valley Unified also operates South Hills High (1,568 students), Northview High (1,247 students), and Covina High (1,056 students). See the Covina-Valley 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.