Enrollment
113
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merced, CA
Plainsburg Union Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Plainsburg Union Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063081004788
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plainsburg Union Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 19
- elementary schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Plainsburg Union Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plainsburg Union Elementary ranks #1 of 19 elementary schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Plainsburg Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063081004788 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plainsburg Union Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plainsburg Union Elementary
Plainsburg Union Elementary is a small elementary school in Merced, California, enrolling 113 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 113 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #139.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (44%) (diversity index 52/100).
17.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Plainsburg Union Elementary spends $12,575 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Merced's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pioneer Elementary (1,055 students): Plainsburg Union Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.6:1 vs 19.9:1).
Plainsburg Union Elementary operates only this one school, so Plainsburg Union Elementary has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Plainsburg Union Elementary compares
Plainsburg Union 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 113 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
113
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,575
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 53.1%
White 44.2%
Asian 2.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Plainsburg Union Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainsburg Union Elementary, which includes Plainsburg Union Elementary.
$12,575
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 9.8%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Merced
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Pioneer Elementary
Standard public school
1,055 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~113 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plainsburg Union Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Plainsburg Union Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Plainsburg Union Elementary'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 Plainsburg Union Elementary
How many students attend Plainsburg Union Elementary?
Plainsburg Union Elementary has 113 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merced, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plainsburg Union Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Plainsburg Union Elementary is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plainsburg Union Elementary?
41.7% of students at Plainsburg Union Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plainsburg Union Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Plainsburg Union Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment, in Merced, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plainsburg Union Elementary?
Plainsburg Union Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Plainsburg Union Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Plainsburg Union Elementary ranks #1 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 Plainsburg Union Elementary a good school?
Plainsburg Union Elementary earns 32/100 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 Plainsburg Union Elementary?
None reported; Plainsburg Union Elementary operates only Plainsburg Union Elementary as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.