Merle L. Fuller Elementary

Merle L. Fuller Elementary is an average-sized elementary-level community in Chowchilla, California, part of Chowchilla Elementary. The school hosts 508 students in grades K through 2.

Merle L. Fuller Elementary is one of 5 schools operated by Chowchilla Elementary, a district that enrolls 2,143 students overall.

On demographics, Merle L. Fuller Elementary logs that 77% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest breaks down as 17% White, 4% multiracial. 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, Merle L. Fuller Elementary shows 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 19.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Merle L. Fuller Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 93% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is above Madera County's rate of about 81%.

In the area at large, census data for Madera County shows median household income runs about $76,627, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. In all, Madera County runs 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students), of which Merle L. Fuller Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Wilson Middle, roughly 0.3 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Merle L. Fuller Elementary operates from a town-based location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count stayed largely flat: 509 students in 2018 compared to 508 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment rose from 65% to 77% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 24.2:1 in 2018 to 19.5:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.