Marigold Elementary

As a reasonably sized elementary-level community in Chico, California, Marigold Elementary enrolls 571 students from grades K through 5, run under Chico Unified. By comparison, California's public schools average about 465 students each, so Marigold Elementary sits 23% larger than that benchmark.

Within Chico Unified, which oversees 22 schools and 12,260 students, Marigold Elementary is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Marigold Elementary records that 59% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder consists of 23% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 4% Asian. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 70%.

On the income-and-resources front, Marigold Elementary reports 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 21.1:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 51% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Butte County (around 63%), the school's rate is south of typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Marigold Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 49.1%, the actual is 44.4%, a residual of -4.7 points.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Butte County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $67,928 per year, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Marigold Elementary is one of 96 public schools in Butte County (combined enrollment of about 29,730 students).

The closest other public school is Pleasant Valley High, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Marigold Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 46.9%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Marigold Elementary has expanded 17%, going from 486 students in 2018 to 571 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 67% to 59% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 24.1:1 in 2018 to 21.1:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.