Fairmead Elementary

Fairmead Elementary is one of the small middle-grades schools in Chowchilla, California, run under Chowchilla Elementary, with 458 students on its rolls from grades 5 through 6. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 31% leaner than typical.

Across the 5 schools in Chowchilla Elementary (2,143 students total), Fairmead Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Fairmead Elementary reports that Hispanic students make up the majority at 74%. The remainder is composed of 19% White, 3% Black, 2% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 61% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 24.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 20.7:1, putting Fairmead Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 86% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

With demographic context factored in, Fairmead Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 28.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 20.1%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Madera County put the typical household earns roughly $76,627 per year, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 14%. Across Madera County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students), Fairmead Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Ronald Reagan Elementary, around 4.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Fairmead Elementary at 6th of 6; the average score across the group is 30.4%.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Fairmead Elementary has ticked down 9%, going from 504 students in 2018 to 458 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share expanded from 65% to 74%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 33.6:1 in 2018 to 24.4:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.