Stephens Elementary

Stephens Elementary is a primary school of compact scale in Chowchilla, California, overseen by Chowchilla Elementary, caters to 217 students in grades K through 2. That puts it 53% leaner than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Chowchilla Elementary comprises 5 schools with combined enrollment of 2,143 students; Stephens Elementary is among them.

Looking at the student body, Stephens Elementary records that 76% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest breaks down as 21% White, 3% multiracial. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 61%.

Looking at school resources, The school employs 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.8:1. The state averages about 22.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 78% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Madera County) logs that median household earnings sit near $76,627, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 14%. Across Madera County's 81 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,251 students), Stephens Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Merle L. Fuller Elementary, around 0.4 miles off. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Stephens Elementary operates from a town-based location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Stephens Elementary has fell 20%, going from 271 students in 2018 to 217 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 67% to 76% over that span.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.