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What tradition at McSwain Elementary should never be changed?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
912
Elementary
STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCSWAIN UNION ELEMENTARY·NCES 062436003654
McSwain Elementary
922 Scott Rd., Merced, CA 95341 · (209) 354-2700 · Merced County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL912 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
20.9:1
44 FTE teachers
STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
35%
320 students
STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 129 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 78 | 9% |
| Grade 2 | 92 | 10% |
| Grade 3 | 90 | 10% |
| Grade 4 | 100 | 11% |
| Grade 5 | 93 | 10% |
| Grade 6 | 109 | 12% |
| Grade 7 | 115 | 13% |
| Grade 8 | 106 | 12% |
This year's kindergarten class (129) is 22% larger than its 8th grade class (106).
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
52.3%
CA avg 49.1% . -4.7pp since 2014
Math
36.5%
CA avg 37.7% . +6.5pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 52 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 37 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 5 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 7 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 19.1% | 33.3% | 26.2% | 21.5% |
| Math | 13.3% | 23.3% | 33.0% | 30.5% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 52.3% | 36.5% |
| 2023-24 | 51.8% | 35.5% |
| 2022-23 | 51.5% | 34.7% |
| 2021-22 | 52.6% | 33.4% |
| 2020-21 | 53.8% | 33.9% |
| 2018-19 | 60.9% | 42.5% |
| 2017-18 | 58.8% | 41.3% |
| 2016-17 | 57.7% | 40.8% |
| 2015-16 | 59.0% | 39.0% |
| 2014-15 | 57.0% | 30.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
44.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
59.0%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-14.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 59% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like McSwain Elementary
McSwain Elementary's state test result (44.2% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| McSwain Elementary this school | 912 | 35.1% | 44.2% |
| Veterans Elementary Bakersfield | 1,002 | 38.0% | 51.7% |
| Richland Elementary San Marcos | 883 | 30.8% | 65.3% |
| Norris Elementary Bakersfield | 810 | 37.4% | 52.3% |
| Patriot Elementary Bakersfield | 931 | 39.1% | 40.1% |
| Olive Drive Elementary Bakersfield | 797 | 33.8% | 48.3% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where McSwain Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Merced County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 44.2% | #2,140 of 5,151 | #3 of 54 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 36.5% | #2,597 of 5,172 ▼ 47 | #12 of 54 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 52.3% | #1,861 of 5,172 ▼ 91 | #3 of 54 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.4pp | #2,874 of 5,116 | #32 of 53 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 912 | #158 of 5,915 | #4 of 60 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.9:1 | #1,460 of 5,352 | #12 of 53 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.5% | #1,979 of 5,354 | #4 of 53 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 35.1% | #4,556 of 5,625 | #57 of 57 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +9.0% | #545 of 1,139 | #6 of 14 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
912
+73 (+9%) vs 2020
+28% since 1990-91, when it was 712
Student : Teacher
20.9:1
was 21.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 912 | 43.6 | 20.9:1 | 35% (320) |
| 2023-24 | 939 | 42.4 | 22.2:1 | 36% (342) |
| 2022-23 | 883 | 40.9 | 21.6:1 | 39% (344) |
| 2020-21 | 839 | 39 | 21.5:1 | 37% (311) |
| 2017-18 | 837 | 39 | 21.5:1 | 40% (333) |
| 2015-16 | 822 | 38 | 21.6:1 | 36% (298) |
| 2010-11 | 820 | N/A | N/A | 35% (289) |
| 2000-01 | 787 | 38 | 20.7:1 | 32% (249) |
| 1990-91 | 712 | 29 | 24.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for McSwain Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 9% (837 to 912); teachers up 12% (39 to 43.6).
About McSwain Elementary
McSwain Elementary is a large elementary school in McSwain Union Elementary, located in Merced, California. The student body numbers 912 students, from kindergarten through 8. An average school in this group (elementary schools in California) has about 465 students.
McSwain Union Elementary is the district for McSwain Elementary.
Hispanic students make up a majority at McSwain Elementary, at 51%. Other students are 39% White, 6% Asian, and 4% multiracial. That is lower than the 63% Hispanic share among all Merced County residents. Pick two students at random and there is a 59% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Staffing totals 43.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 20.9:1. On average, elementary schools in California have 22.3:1, compared with 20.9:1 here. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at McSwain Elementary is 35%. The gap from the 81% average for public schools in Merced County is 46 points.
Test results at McSwain Elementary are 14.8 points below what its student poverty level predicts. The average proficiency rate on state tests is 44.2%, compared with a predicted 59.0%, which ranks in the bottom 10% in California.
Within Merced County, the median household income is $65,510, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Besides McSwain Elementary, Merced County has 116 other public schools.
The shortest distance from McSwain Elementary to another public school is about 2.4 miles, to Franklin Elementary. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. The school's 44.2% average proficiency ranks 1st among 8 nearby schools.
The NCES locale for McSwain Elementary is Rural: Fringe, which covers schools in rural territory close to an urban area.
McSwain Elementary's enrollment climbed from 839 in 2020-21 to 912 in 2024-25.
Conversations here can range across enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Merced County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
290,201
Census ACS
Median income
$65,510
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
15%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
16%
Below federal line
Schools in county
117
59,456 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Merced
- Merced HighHigh · 1,943 students
- Golden Valley HighHigh · 1,917 students
- El Capitan HighHigh · 1,793 students
- Weaver MiddleMiddle · 1,073 students
- Pioneer ElementaryElementary · 1,055 students
- Merced County Special EducationCombined · 942 students
Nearby schools
- Franklin Elementary2.4 mi · 602
- Joe Stefani2.6 mi · 641
- Merced Scholars Charter3.2 mi · 334
- Valley Merced Community3.2 mi · 99
- Buhach Colony High3.3 mi · 1,704
- Leontine Gracey Elementary3.3 mi · 509
Frequently asked questions
About McSwain ElementaryHow large is McSwain Elementary?
McSwain Elementary enrolls approximately 912 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does McSwain Elementary serve?
McSwain Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at McSwain Elementary?
Approximately 20.9:1 students per teacher at McSwain Elementary.
How diverse is McSwain Elementary?
McSwain Elementary reports a student body of 39% White, 51% Hispanic, 0% Black, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees McSwain Elementary?
McSwain Elementary is overseen by McSwain Union Elementary in Merced County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.