Dairyland Elementary

Dairyland Elementary, a very small 6-8 campus in Chowchilla, California, one of the schools within Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary, instructs 216 students, covering grades 4 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 67% smaller than typical.

Dairyland Elementary is one of 2 schools operated by Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary, a district that works with 399 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Dairyland Elementary records that 65% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. The remainder looks like 33% White.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Dairyland Elementary has 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.9:1. The state averages about 20.7:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 58% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Madera County runs at roughly 81%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Dairyland Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.8%; this one delivers 45.5%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Madera County indicate the typical household earns roughly $76,627 per year, about 18% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. Across Madera County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students), Dairyland Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Dixieland Elementary, roughly 6.0 miles away. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Dairyland Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 25.3%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Dairyland Elementary has expanded 6%, going from 204 students in 2018 to 216 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 60% to 65% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 22.3:1 in 2018 to 20.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.