North Fork Elementary

Located at 33087 Road 228, in North Fork, California, North Fork Elementary is a close-knit primary school that caters to 227 students (grades K through 8), overseen by Chawanakee Unified. That puts it 51% below the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Across the 8 schools in Chawanakee Unified (1,407 students total), North Fork Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, North Fork Elementary records that 48% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 21% Hispanic, 15% Native American, 15% multiracial. By comparison, Madera County as a whole is about 38% White, so the school skews meaningfully more White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, North Fork Elementary has 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 19.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting North Fork Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 80% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), North Fork Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 32.0%; this one delivers 26.7%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Madera County put median household earnings sit near $76,627, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 14%. Across Madera County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students), North Fork Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Mountain Oaks High, around 0.2 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 2 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, North Fork Elementary comes 2nd of 4 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 26.9%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 9%: 250 students in 2018 compared to 227 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 21.9:1 in 2018 to 19.4:1 today.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.