Aileen Colburn Elementary

Aileen Colburn Elementary, a cozy elementary campus in Atwater, California, part of Atwater Elementary, works with 371 students, covering grades K through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 20% leaner than the state mean of about 465.

Atwater Elementary runs 11 schools in total, collectively educating 4,925 students. Aileen Colburn Elementary is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Aileen Colburn Elementary records that 87% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. The remainder is composed of 9% White, 3% Black. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 63%.

On the resource side, On paper, Aileen Colburn Elementary has 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 21.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 92% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Merced County (around 81%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Aileen Colburn Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 24.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.7%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Merced County put median household earnings sit near $65,510, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Merced County runs 117 public schools (combined enrollment of about 59,456 students), of which Aileen Colburn Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Atwater Senior Academy, around 0.4 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Aileen Colburn Elementary ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 38.9%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Aileen Colburn Elementary has fell 13%, going from 425 students in 2018 to 371 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 23.6:1 in 2018 to 21.8:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.