Enrollment
607
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Merced, CA
Tenaya Middle
Federal NCES profile for Tenaya Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062460003696
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tenaya Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #2 of 5
- middle schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.6:1
- large classes for California
- 89.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Tenaya Middle has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tenaya Middle ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Merced City Elementary · California
NCES ID 062460003696 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tenaya Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tenaya Middle
Tenaya Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Merced, California, enrolling 607 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.6:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 89.9% of students qualify for free meals, 62% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 607 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,423 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,064, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 607 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Merced's middle schools, it stands alongside Weaver Middle (1,073 students): Tenaya Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.6:1 vs 25:1).
Merced City Elementary also operates Rudolph Rivera Elementary (917 students) and Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary (722 students) alongside Tenaya Middle.
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 Tenaya Middle compares
Tenaya Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.6:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.9% | ▲ 62% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 607 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
607
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
27.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
39.9%
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
$13,984
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 607 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.4 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 83.0%
African American 5.8%
Asian 4.4%
White 3.5%
Two or More 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.4, Tenaya Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merced City Elementary, which includes Tenaya Middle.
$13,984
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 74.4%
Federal 14.2%
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 Tenaya Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudolph Rivera Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Luther Burbank Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Allan Peterson Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joe Stefani | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tenaya Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 917
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 28.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 28.8:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in Merced
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Weaver Middle
Standard public school
1,073 students 25:1 students per teacher
Herbert Hoover Middle
Standard public school
629 students 28.6:1 students per teacher
Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle
Standard public school
624 students 32.8:1 students per teacher
Rudolph Rivera Middle
Standard public school
608 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~607 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tenaya Middle's federal record.
- Compare Tenaya Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Merced City 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 Tenaya Middle
How many students attend Tenaya Middle?
Tenaya Middle has 607 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Merced, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tenaya Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Tenaya Middle is 27.6:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tenaya Middle?
89.9% of students at Tenaya Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tenaya Middle?
The largest demographic group at Tenaya Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment, in Merced, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tenaya Middle?
Tenaya Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Tenaya Middle rank among middle schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Tenaya Middle ranks #2 of 5 middle 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 middle schools in Merced on the city page.
Is Tenaya Middle a good school?
Tenaya Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Merced City Elementary?
Besides Tenaya Middle, Merced City Elementary also operates Rudolph Rivera Elementary (917 students), Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary (722 students), and Luther Burbank Elementary (716 students). See the Merced City Elementary 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.