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What clubs or activities at Shaffer Elementary are worth joining?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
405
Elementary
DISTRICT 500 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ATWATER ELEMENTARY·NCES 060342000261
Shaffer Elementary
1434 California St., Atwater, CA 95301 · (209) 357-6145 · Merced County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL405 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
22.3:1
18 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.2:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
81%
328 students
DISTRICT 81% · 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 | 65 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 44 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 54 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 64 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 58 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 55 | 14% |
| Grade 6 | 65 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (65) is about the same size as its 6th grade class (65).
Student demographics
34%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · 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
36.0%
CA avg 49.1% . +5.0pp since 2014
Math
27.9%
CA avg 37.7% . +5.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 36 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 28 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 6 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 13.7% | 22.3% | 21.9% | 42.1% |
| Math | 11.2% | 16.7% | 25.3% | 46.8% |
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 | 36.0% | 27.9% |
| 2023-24 | 37.1% | 29.8% |
| 2022-23 | 38.0% | 37.3% |
| 2021-22 | 43.2% | 34.2% |
| 2018-19 | 43.6% | 33.9% |
| 2017-18 | 37.8% | 26.9% |
| 2016-17 | 42.8% | 29.2% |
| 2015-16 | 38.0% | 27.0% |
| 2014-15 | 31.0% | 22.0% |
% 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
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
32.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
32.1%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 33% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 32% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
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 Shaffer Elementary
Shaffer Elementary's state test result (32.7% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaffer Elementary this school | 405 | 81.0% | 32.7% |
| West Orange Elementary Orange | 410 | 82.2% | 44.8% |
| Stagg Street Elementary Van Nuys | 413 | 83.1% | 55.1% |
| Wiley Canyon Elementary Newhall | 388 | 78.9% | 48.9% |
| El Cerrito Elementary La Habra | 379 | 79.4% | 46.0% |
| Palmyra GATE Magnet Orange | 429 | 77.4% | 48.1% |
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 Shaffer Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Merced County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 32.7% | #3,210 of 5,151 | #29 of 54 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 27.9% | #3,431 of 5,172 ▼ 335 | #33 of 54 ▼ 13 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 36.0% | #3,324 of 5,172 ▼ 309 | #32 of 54 ▼ 8 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -6.7pp | #329 of 5,116 | #4 of 53 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 405 | #3,640 of 5,915 | #43 of 60 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.3:1 | #2,378 of 5,352 | #20 of 53 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 34.3% | #3,728 of 5,354 | #24 of 53 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 81.0% | #2,093 of 5,625 | #31 of 57 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -28.2% | #668 of 3,837 | #3 of 35 |
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
405
-104 (-20%) vs 2020
-30% since 1990-91, when it was 579
Student : Teacher
22.3:1
was 24.2:1
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 | 405 | 18.2 | 22.3:1 | 81% (328) |
| 2023-24 | 422 | 17 | 24.8:1 | 86% (361) |
| 2022-23 | 534 | 23.2 | 23.0:1 | 85% (454) |
| 2020-21 | 509 | 21 | 24.2:1 | 85% (433) |
| 2017-18 | 564 | 22.5 | 25.1:1 | 88% (496) |
| 2015-16 | 553 | 20 | 27.6:1 | 87% (481) |
| 2010-11 | 478 | N/A | N/A | 84% (401) |
| 2000-01 | 484 | 24 | 20.2:1 | 71% (342) |
| 1990-91 | 579 | 22 | 26.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Shaffer Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 28% (564 to 405); teachers down 19% (22.5 to 18.2).
About Shaffer Elementary
Shaffer Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Atwater Elementary, located in Atwater, California. It enrolls 405 students in 2024-25. The grades offered are kindergarten through 6.
The district for Shaffer Elementary is Atwater Elementary, with 11 schools and 4,925 students.
Of every 100 students at Shaffer Elementary, about 80 are Hispanic. The remaining students are 12% White and 5% Asian. Census figures show Merced County is about 63% Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 34, compared with 70 nationally.
There are 18.2 full-time-equivalent teachers at Shaffer Elementary, giving a ratio of 22.3:1. The average for elementary schools in California is about 22.3:1. By family income, 81% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Merced County average a similar 81%.
Based on student poverty, the model expects 32.1% at Shaffer Elementary; the school's average proficiency rate across its state test results is 32.7%.
Census data for Merced County show the median household earns about $65,510 a year, roughly 15% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 16%. Public schools in Merced County number 117, with about 59,456 students.
Measured in a straight line, Thomas Olaeta Elementary is about 0.6 miles from Shaffer Elementary. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. The nearest schools with test data average 39.4%, higher than Shaffer Elementary's 32.7%.
By NCES locale, the school is Suburb: Mid-size, or in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
The 2020-21-to-2024-25 change in enrollment was a 20% decrease, from 509 to 405. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 24.2:1 to 22.3:1.
People who know Shaffer Elementary can post here about homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
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 Atwater Elementary
- Mitchell IntermediateMiddle · 744 students
- Peggy Heller ElementaryElementary · 712 students
- Bellevue ElementaryElementary · 599 students
- Mitchell ElementaryElementary · 528 students
- Elmer Wood ElementaryElementary · 514 students
- Juniper ElementaryElementary · 495 students
Other schools in Atwater
- Atwater HighHigh · 2,029 students
- Buhach Colony HighHigh · 1,704 students
- Mitchell IntermediateMiddle · 744 students
- Peggy Heller ElementaryElementary · 712 students
- Bellevue ElementaryElementary · 599 students
- Mitchell ElementaryElementary · 528 students
Other Shaffer Elementary schools
2 other US public schools in 2 states are named Shaffer Elementary. Shaffer Elementary is the 2nd largest of the 3.
- Shaffer ElementaryLitchfield, CA · 246 students
- Shaffer Elementary SchoolLITTLETON, CO · 497 students
Nearby schools
- Thomas Olaeta Elementary0.6 mi · 374
- Juniper Elementary0.7 mi · 495
- Mitchell Intermediate0.7 mi · 744
- Mitchell Elementary0.9 mi · 528
- Atwater Senior Academy1.0 mi · 5
- Elmer Wood Elementary1.1 mi · 514
Frequently asked questions
About Shaffer ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Shaffer Elementary?
Shaffer Elementary enrolls approximately 405 students in grades KG-06.
Is Shaffer Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Shaffer Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-06.
How many teachers does Shaffer Elementary have?
Shaffer Elementary employs 18 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.3:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Shaffer Elementary?
At Shaffer Elementary, the student body is approximately 12% White, 80% Hispanic, 1% Black, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is Shaffer Elementary public or private?
Shaffer Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Atwater Elementary.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.