Is McSwain Elementary a good school?

McSwain Elementary ranks 2264 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McSwain Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 883 students attended McSwain Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of McSwain Elementary?

Students at McSwain Elementary are 47% Hispanic, 41% White, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of McSwain Elementary attend?

Students who attend McSwain Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Buhach Colony High

McSwain Elementary

Summary:

McSwain Elementary is a public K-8 school in Merced, California, serving 883 students. It is part of the McSwain Union Elementary School District, which is ranked 541 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McSwain Elementary consistently performs above the state average in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Assessments, with 51.76% of students proficient or better in ELA/Literacy and 35.52% in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 47.04% and 35.54%, respectively. The school's performance for Hispanic and English Language Learner students is particularly strong, ranking 1,806 out of 5,102 and 1,510 out of 3,160 California elementary schools, respectively, in 2023-2024. However, the school's performance for White and Asian students is relatively lower, ranking 1,903 out of 2,647 and 820 out of 1,203 California elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools in the Atwater Elementary and Merced City Elementary school districts, McSwain Elementary outperforms them in academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. However, the nearby schools have higher percentages of free and reduced lunch recipients, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. While McSwain Elementary maintains a consistent 3-star rating, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 11.5% in 2022-2023 is still higher than the state's target of 10% or less, presenting an opportunity for improvement.

Detail:

Public K-8

922 Scott Rd.
Merced, CA 95341-8893

(209) 354-2700

District: McSwain Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2264^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,453

Students who attend McSwain Elementary usually attend:

High:

Buhach Colony High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.5

Number of students: 883

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.8%

White:

41.3%

Asian:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare McSwain Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McSwain Elementary ranks better than 61.4% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.39. (See more...)

Compare Details McSwain Elementary ranks better than 63.4% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.76. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.8%), White (41.3%), Asian (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McSwain Elementary is 21.5. (See more...)

Compare McSwain Elementary employs 40.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McSwain Elementary is $10,453.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McSwain Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks McSwain Elementary 2264^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See McSwain Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks McSwain Elementary 1017^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See McSwain Elementary in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

McSwain Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks McSwain Union Elementary 541^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for McSwain Elementary

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Rank History for all elementary school students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	76.09	1075^th	4809	77.6%
2005	77.43	1036^th	4822	78.5%
2006	76.74	1078^th	4818	77.6%
2007	81.40	918^th	5113	82.0%
2008	77.18	1099^th	5113	78.5%
2009	74.69	1221^st	5193	76.5%
2010	81.95	895^th	5314	83.2%
2011	73.63	1320^th	5377	75.5%
2012	68.41	1610^th	5390	70.1%
2013	71.51	1499^th	5530	72.9%
2015	58.08	2029^th	5611	63.8%
2016	65.41	1737^th	5614	69.1%
2017	59.13	2058^th	5692	63.8%
2018	56.59	2204^th	5662	61.1%
2019	66.59	1767^th	5789	69.5%
2021	62.09	485^th	1417	65.8%
2022	61.23	1971^st	5883	66.5%
2023	61.80	1971^st	5874	66.4%
2024	55.39	2264^th	5862	61.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	65.68	671^st	3246	79.3%
2019	58.23	887^th	3275	72.9%
2024	44.49	1510^th	3160	52.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.19	1146^th	2420	52.6%
2024	52.28	908^th	2634	65.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.49	2267^th	5084	55.4%
2019	55.44	2037^th	5173	60.6%
2021	62.83	327^th	1110	70.5%
2022	43.45	2726^th	5264	48.2%
2023	49.20	2418^th	5374	55.0%
2024	55.80	2023^rd	5511	63.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.61	2204^th	5413	59.3%
2019	64.12	1790^th	5492	67.4%
2021	58.20	472^nd	1267	62.7%
2022	55.76	2112^th	5635	62.5%
2023	62.06	1848^th	5617	67.1%
2024	60.29	1939^th	5605	65.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	84.88	267^th	2585	89.7%
2021	65.65	61^st	293	79.2%
2022	60.21	595^th	2227	73.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.48	2097^th	5431	61.4%
2019	66.85	1651^st	5510	70.0%
2021	64.67	403^rd	1272	68.3%
2022	64.72	1737^th	5663	69.3%
2023	58.44	2021^st	5650	64.2%
2024	48.29	2554^th	5636	54.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Asian students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	43.49	820^th	1203	31.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.46	2192^nd	4830	54.6%
2019	60.52	1657^th	4963	66.6%
2022	65.76	1354^th	5084	73.4%
2023	63.04	1490^th	5098	70.8%
2024	57.66	1806^th	5102	64.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.99	1633^rd	2737	40.3%
2019	54.88	1383^rd	2834	51.2%
2022	38.38	1790^th	2726	34.3%
2023	38.97	1745^th	2662	34.4%
2024	31.62	1903^rd	2647	28.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for McSwain Elementary

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Rank History for all middle school students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	80.37	284^th	1769	83.9%
2005	85.31	190^th	1777	89.3%
2006	81.52	264^th	1804	85.4%
2007	66.43	556^th	1999	72.2%
2008	80.17	283^rd	2005	85.9%
2009	72.43	456^th	2063	77.9%
2010	77.02	371^st	2179	83.0%
2011	68.90	588^th	2236	73.7%
2012	63.71	729^th	2259	67.7%
2013	60.59	879^th	2379	63.1%
2015	64.34	772^nd	2477	68.8%
2016	67.33	705^th	2497	71.8%
2017	63.59	809^th	2508	67.7%
2018	60.96	819^th	2480	67.0%
2019	63.13	838^th	2715	69.1%
2021	54.12	363^rd	894	59.4%
2022	52.35	1102^nd	2740	59.8%
2023	49.41	1186^th	2802	57.7%
2024	54.76	1017^th	2777	63.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.02	337^th	1538	78.1%
2024	55.86	466^th	1550	69.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.68	977^th	2230	56.2%
2019	52.55	949^th	2369	59.9%
2021	45.61	349^th	721	51.6%
2022	41.75	1272^nd	2458	48.3%
2023	35.03	1540^th	2549	39.6%
2024	48.58	1086^th	2575	57.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.68	822^nd	2262	63.7%
2019	64.31	740^th	2380	68.9%
2021	54.63	286^th	738	61.2%
2022	56.23	906^th	2509	63.9%
2023	48.54	1087^th	2547	57.3%
2024	57.11	878^th	2546	65.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	41.38	722^nd	1491	51.6%
2021	43.53	154^th	354	56.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.17	729^th	2273	67.9%
2019	60.93	782^nd	2407	67.5%
2021	53.95	314^th	763	58.8%
2022	48.09	1114^th	2527	55.9%
2023	48.27	1120^th	2558	56.2%
2024	50.19	1074^th	2547	57.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Asian students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	22.58	588^th	741	20.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.80	650^th	2072	68.6%
2019	61.03	667^th	2213	69.9%
2022	50.71	974^th	2359	58.7%
2023	48.51	1023^rd	2391	57.2%
2024	56.22	822^nd	2383	65.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at McSwain Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.37	755^th	1496	49.5%
2019	50.03	790^th	1602	50.7%
2022	40.18	911^th	1555	41.4%
2023	32.48	1035^th	1552	33.3%
2024	34.95	980^th	1535	36.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

This is by far the best school in Merced county. Very involved staff and parents. I have three children enrolled in McSwain USD and would pay any amount to keep my children within this school district. Close Quote

Enrollment information for McSwain Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	478	0	30	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	546
1989	506	0	20	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	598
1990	506	12	38	94	0	n/a	n/a	0	650
1991	560	2	47	102	1	n/a	n/a	0	712
1992	581	6	52	99	1	n/a	n/a	0	739
1993	600	5	39	113	1	n/a	n/a	0	758
1994	589	13	46	125	2	n/a	n/a	0	775
1995	618	14	64	165	0	n/a	n/a	0	861
1996	618	14	64	165	0	n/a	n/a	0	861
1997	583	12	57	157	4	n/a	n/a	0	813
1998	590	12	49	116	2	n/a	n/a	0	769
1999	509	18	42	151	7	n/a	n/a	0	727
2000	477	12	57	189	1	n/a	n/a	0	736
2001	514	16	55	200	2	n/a	n/a	0	787
2002	502	16	55	222	3	n/a	n/a	7	805
2003	502	16	55	222	3	n/a	n/a	7	805
2004	496	12	49	232	7	n/a	n/a	32	828
2005	458	10	52	220	6	n/a	n/a	45	791
2006	424	10	50	221	6	n/a	n/a	63	774
2007	409	14	51	229	6	n/a	n/a	56	765
2008	416	12	42	259	6	n/a	n/a	0	735
2009	415	11	38	253	7	3	55	0	782
2010	424	11	35	321	4	2	39	0	836
2011	424	5	31	316	3	2	39	0	820
2012	416	4	43	342	2	5	41	0	853
2013	400	5	50	365	3	3	32	0	858
2014	397	6	57	360	1	3	33	0	857
2015	378	6	57	378	2	3	41	0	865
2016	361	4	56	366	3	3	29	0	822
2017	403	4	53	360	3	2	34	0	859
2018	391	5	50	355	2	2	32	0	837
2019	403	5	56	380	5	1	26	0	876
2020	387	3	56	374	5	1	33	0	859
2021	359	3	58	384	2	0	33	0	839
2022	332	3	53	400	3	0	41	0	832
2023	365	4	57	413	2	1	41	0	883

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McSwain Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	546	22.3	24.4	n/a
1989	598	23.1	25.8	n/a
1990	650	30.0	21.6	n/a
1991	712	29.0	24.5	n/a
1992	739	29.5	25.0	24.6
1993	758	30.4	24.9	27.7
1994	775	29.0	26.7	31.6
1995	861	34.7	24.8	33.2
1996	861	34.7	24.8	33.2
1997	813	37.9	21.5	32.1
1998	769	39.2	19.6	34.2
1999	727	39.9	18.2	32.2
2000	736	35.8	20.6	33.6
2001	787	38.3	20.5	31.6
2002	805	39.0	20.6	30.6
2003	805	39.0	20.6	30.6
2004	828	38.7	21.4	32.4
2005	791	40.5	19.5	29.8
2006	774	39.5	19.6	26.4
2007	765	39.5	19.4	27.1
2008	735	43.1	17.1	29.9
2009	782	36.5	18.6	28.4
2010	836	35.8	23.3	34.7
2011	820	n/a	n/a	35.2
2012	853	34.0	25.0	n/a
2013	858	35.1	24.4	34.8
2014	857	36.1	23.7	34.8
2015	865	37.0	23.3	39.1
2016	822	39.0	21.0	36.3
2017	859	38.6	22.2	36.2
2018	837	39.0	21.4	39.8
2019	876	41.0	21.3	39.6
2020	859	n/a	n/a	38.2
2021	839	39.0	21.5	37.1
2022	832	42.0	19.7	37.7
2023	883	40.8	21.5	39

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McSwain Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	546	22.3	24.4	n/a
1989	598	23.1	25.8	n/a
1990	650	30.0	21.6	n/a
1991	712	29.0	24.5	n/a
1992	739	29.5	25.0	24.6
1993	758	30.4	24.9	27.7
1994	775	29.0	26.7	31.6
1995	861	34.7	24.8	33.2
1996	861	34.7	24.8	33.2
1997	813	37.9	21.5	32.1
1998	769	39.2	19.6	34.2
1999	727	39.9	18.2	32.2
2000	736	35.8	20.6	33.6
2001	787	38.3	20.5	31.6
2002	805	39.0	20.6	30.6
2003	805	39.0	20.6	30.6
2004	828	38.7	21.4	32.4
2005	791	40.5	19.5	29.8
2006	774	39.5	19.6	26.4
2007	765	39.5	19.4	27.1
2008	735	43.1	17.1	29.9
2009	782	36.5	18.6	28.4
2010	836	35.8	23.3	34.7
2011	820	n/a	n/a	35.2
2012	853	34.0	25.0	n/a
2013	858	35.1	24.4	34.8
2014	857	36.1	23.7	34.8
2015	865	37.0	23.3	39.1
2016	822	39.0	21.0	36.3
2017	859	38.6	22.2	36.2
2018	837	39.0	21.4	39.8
2019	876	41.0	21.3	39.6
2020	859	n/a	n/a	38.2
2021	839	39.0	21.5	37.1
2022	832	42.0	19.7	37.7
2023	883	40.8	21.5	39

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates