Enrollment
1,055
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merced, CA
Pioneer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer 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 064188003327
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #14 of 19
- elementary schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- students per teacher
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #14 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Weaver Union · California
NCES ID 064188003327 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary
Pioneer Elementary is a higher-need, large elementary school in Merced, California, enrolling 1,055 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,055 students.
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 861 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #747, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and Asian (9%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1055 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Merced's elementary schools, it stands alongside Farmdale Elementary (919 students): Pioneer Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.9:1 vs 19.6:1).
Weaver Union also operates Weaver Middle (1,073 students) and Farmdale Elementary (919 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elementary compares
Pioneer 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 | 19.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 21% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,055 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,055
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in California - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.4%
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
$14,343
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1055 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 73.3%
Asian 9.3%
White 7.0%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.4, Pioneer Elementary is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Weaver Union, which includes Pioneer Elementary.
$14,343
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 75.3%
Federal 13.4%
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 Pioneer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weaver Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Farmdale Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
Similar elementary schools in Merced
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Farmdale Elementary
Standard public school
919 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Rudolph Rivera Elementary
Standard public school
917 students 29.6:1 students per teacher
Mcswain Elementary
Standard public school
912 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary
Standard public school
722 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Luther Burbank Elementary
Standard public school
716 students 28.6:1 students per teacher
Allan Peterson Elementary
Standard public school
690 students 28.8:1 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 (~1,055 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Weaver Union'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 Pioneer Elementary
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary has 1,055 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merced, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary is 19.9:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% 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 Pioneer Elementary?
67.4% of students at Pioneer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 73.3% of enrollment, in Merced, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary ranks #14 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, 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 Merced on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?
Pioneer 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 Weaver Union?
Besides Pioneer Elementary, Weaver Union also operates Weaver Middle (1,073 students) and Farmdale Elementary (919 students). See the Weaver Union 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.