Merritt Trace Elementary

Summary:

Merritt Trace Elementary is a public elementary school in San Jose, California, serving 831 students in grades K-5. It is part of the San Jose Unified School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merritt Trace Elementary faces significant challenges, including a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 10.4% in 2017-2018 to 35.1% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district and state averages. The school also consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in standardized test scores, with proficiency rates of 34.73% in ELA and 29.64% in Math in 2023-2024, compared to the district's 49.53% and 40.86%, respectively. Performance varies greatly across student subgroups, with Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low-income students struggling the most, often with proficiency rates below 20%.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Westwood Elementary and C.W. Haman Elementary in the Santa Clara Unified School District, Merritt Trace Elementary generally performs worse, with lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates. The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (54.39%) and relatively high student-teacher ratio (22.6 to 25.1) may be contributing factors to its academic challenges, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and resource allocation to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public K-5

 651 Dana Ave.
       San Jose, CA  95126-2003


(408) 535-6257

District: San Jose Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3529th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,941 Help


Students who attend Merritt Trace Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Herbert Hoover Middle
High:    Abraham Lincoln High

Student/teacher ratio:  22.6 Help
Number of students:  831

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
71.2%
White:
17.2%
Two or more races:
5.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  54.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Merritt Trace Elementary ranks worse than 60.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 14th among 27 ranked elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.85. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Merritt Trace Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the San Jose Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (71.2%), White (17.2%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 54.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merritt Trace Elementary is 22.6. 15 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Merritt Trace Elementary employs 36.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merritt Trace Elementary is $10,941. 18 elementary schools in the San Jose Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merritt Trace Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Merritt Trace Elementary 3529th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Merritt Trace Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


San Jose Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Jose Unified 796th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Merritt Trace Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 30.99 3183rd 4809 33.8%
2005 41.76 2615th 4822 45.8%
2006 45.04 2439th 4818 49.4%
2007 40.65 2869th 5113 43.9%
2008 39.91 2949th 5113 42.3%
2009 43.71 2833rd 5193 45.4%
2010 43.75 2937th 5314 44.7%
2011 45.64 2853rd 5377 46.9%
2012 40.76 3218th 5390 40.3%
2013 37.96 3458th 5530 37.5%
2015 42.93 2860th 5611 49.0%
2016 38.28 3193rd 5614 43.1%
2017 37.96 3243rd 5692 43.0%
2018 35.82 3417th 5662 39.7%
2019 36.25 3441st 5789 40.6%
2021 33.78 884th 1417 37.6%
2022 37.23 3281st 5883 44.2%
2023 36.37 3405th 5874 42.0%
2024 34.85 3529th 5862 39.8%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 72.19 173rd 610 71.6%
2024 30.20 518th 669 22.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.69 1730th 3246 46.7%
2019 51.12 1189th 3275 63.7%
2021 41.69 278th 602 53.8%
2022 35.50 2167th 3311 34.6%
2023 27.40 2715th 3250 16.5%
2024 22.92 2952nd 3160 6.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.32 1371st 2420 43.3%
2024 58.20 753rd 2634 71.4%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.89 4064th 5084 20.1%
2019 31.06 3788th 5173 26.8%
2021 28.02 851st 1110 23.3%
2022 30.40 3805th 5264 27.7%
2023 25.46 4271st 5374 20.5%
2024 14.31 5186th 5511 5.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.43 3882nd 5413 28.3%
2019 33.53 3536th 5492 35.6%
2021 37.36 733rd 1267 42.1%
2022 37.51 3158th 5635 44.0%
2023 36.57 3258th 5617 42.0%
2024 32.73 3584th 5605 36.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.57 702nd 2128 67.0%
2019 59.87 731st 2585 71.7%
2021 41.81 129th 293 56.0%
2022 41.45 1022nd 2227 54.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.67 2810th 5431 48.3%
2019 39.73 3057th 5510 44.5%
2021 30.51 828th 1272 34.9%
2022 37.00 3202nd 5663 43.5%
2023 36.37 3313th 5650 41.4%
2024 37.52 3242nd 5636 42.5%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.52 3387th 4830 29.9%
2019 35.78 3258th 4963 34.4%
2022 33.76 3394th 5084 33.2%
2023 34.18 3377th 5098 33.8%
2024 29.66 3762nd 5102 26.3%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Merritt Trace Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.81 1392nd 2737 49.1%
2019 49.08 1579th 2834 44.3%
2022 47.98 1525th 2726 44.1%
2023 56.75 1241st 2662 53.4%
2024 58.34 1183rd 2647 55.3%
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.

Merritt Trace Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Merritt Trace Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 187 22 29 137 3 n/a n/a 0 378
1989 165 29 39 182 4 n/a n/a 0 419
1990 158 22 29 202 3 n/a n/a 0 414
1991 151 21 24 240 5 n/a n/a 0 441
1992 157 18 25 251 7 n/a n/a 0 458
1993 151 17 29 261 10 n/a n/a 0 468
1994 131 18 23 271 5 n/a n/a 0 448
1995 142 17 37 308 5 n/a n/a 0 509
1996 142 17 37 308 5 n/a n/a 0 509
1997 138 27 38 310 10 n/a n/a 0 523
1998 153 21 28 267 7 n/a n/a 0 476
1999 149 23 31 286 8 n/a n/a 0 497
2000 131 21 30 298 8 n/a n/a 0 488
2001 132 9 22 302 5 n/a n/a 0 470
2002 118 15 26 300 4 n/a n/a 0 463
2003 118 15 26 300 4 n/a n/a 0 463
2004 103 18 25 328 5 n/a n/a 0 479
2005 85 17 27 330 10 n/a n/a 4 473
2006 156 29 51 559 34 n/a n/a 25 854
2007 153 19 52 522 8 n/a n/a 27 781
2008 147 25 60 523 7 n/a n/a 0 762
2009 167 26 53 514 9 5 34 0 808
2010 205 30 68 605 5 6 38 0 957
2011 196 25 73 624 5 5 57 0 985
2012 181 33 58 636 4 4 49 0 965
2013 166 35 54 688 3 3 53 0 1002
2014 161 34 49 695 3 3 57 0 1002
2015 157 36 45 684 3 2 52 0 979
2016 158 38 39 675 1 3 52 0 966
2017 153 36 41 664 0 3 44 0 941
2018 150 37 34 647 0 3 42 0 913
2019 151 37 44 637 0 4 53 0 926
2020 140 24 46 616 2 0 45 0 873
2021 139 22 46 585 1 0 54 0 847
2022 131 19 40 565 2 0 51 0 808
2023 143 17 34 592 1 1 43 0 831

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 Merritt Trace Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 378 23.4 16.1 n/a
1989 419 25.8 16.2 n/a
1990 414 25.0 16.5 n/a
1991 441 25.0 17.6 n/a
1992 458 25.4 18.0 53.1
1993 468 22.0 21.3 47.6
1994 448 24.0 18.7 50.2
1995 509 23.0 22.1 51.7
1996 509 23.0 22.1 51.7
1997 523 19.0 27.5 55.8
1998 476 18.0 26.4 49.4
1999 497 20.0 24.9 48.5
2000 488 18.0 27.1 49
2001 470 22.0 21.4 47
2002 463 20.5 22.6 53.6
2003 463 20.5 22.6 53.6
2004 479 20.9 22.9 70.6
2005 473 22.6 20.9 61.6
2006 854 44.5 19.2 59.6
2007 781 41.4 18.9 65.5
2008 762 46.1 16.5 62.2
2009 808 38.0 18.2 57.5
2010 957 45.2 21.1 55.1
2011 985 n/a n/a 51.7
2012 965 39.0 24.7 n/a
2013 1002 37.3 26.8 55
2014 1002 35.3 28.3 57.2
2015 979 35.0 27.9 55.1
2016 966 35.0 27.6 56.4
2017 941 36.0 26.0 54.6
2018 913 33.0 27.6 58.3
2019 926 35.8 25.8 51.1
2020 873 n/a n/a 50.5
2021 847 33.6 25.1 47.1
2022 808 34.3 23.5 49.4
2023 831 36.6 22.6 54.4

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 Merritt Trace Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 378 23.4 16.1 n/a
1989 419 25.8 16.2 n/a
1990 414 25.0 16.5 n/a
1991 441 25.0 17.6 n/a
1992 458 25.4 18.0 53.1
1993 468 22.0 21.3 47.6
1994 448 24.0 18.7 50.2
1995 509 23.0 22.1 51.7
1996 509 23.0 22.1 51.7
1997 523 19.0 27.5 55.8
1998 476 18.0 26.4 49.4
1999 497 20.0 24.9 48.5
2000 488 18.0 27.1 49
2001 470 22.0 21.4 47
2002 463 20.5 22.6 53.6
2003 463 20.5 22.6 53.6
2004 479 20.9 22.9 70.6
2005 473 22.6 20.9 61.6
2006 854 44.5 19.2 59.6
2007 781 41.4 18.9 65.5
2008 762 46.1 16.5 62.2
2009 808 38.0 18.2 57.5
2010 957 45.2 21.1 55.1
2011 985 n/a n/a 51.7
2012 965 39.0 24.7 n/a
2013 1002 37.3 26.8 55
2014 1002 35.3 28.3 57.2
2015 979 35.0 27.9 55.1
2016 966 35.0 27.6 56.4
2017 941 36.0 26.0 54.6
2018 913 33.0 27.6 58.3
2019 926 35.8 25.8 51.1
2020 873 n/a n/a 50.5
2021 847 33.6 25.1 47.1
2022 808 34.3 23.5 49.4
2023 831 36.6 22.6 54.4

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

Merritt Trace Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201292.0%2.0%0.0%6.0%95.0%98.0%98.0%94.0%96.0%
201394.0%1.0%0.0%5.0%95.0%98.0%99.0%95.0%96.0%
201497.0%1.0%0.0%2.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%97.0%
201596.0%0.0%0.0%4.0%98.0%96.0%100.0%97.0%99.0%
201697.0%1.0%0.0%2.0%99.0%97.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%
201797.0%0.0%1.0%2.0%≥99.0%98.0%≥99.0%98.0%≥99.0%
201897.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%
201995.0%0.0%3.0%98.0%98.0%≥99.0%98.0%98.0%
202097.5%0.6%1.9%
202191.4%1.3%2.0%96.0%96.7%92.1%92.7%97.4%
202293.1%0.0%3.1%97.0%97.7%94.7%96.2%97.0%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merritt Trace Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $10,941

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merritt Trace Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 3441st of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 3405th of 5874 Elementary schools
 1.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Merritt Trace Elementary)45.338.1
 7.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Jose Unified)51.346.7
 4.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Merritt Trace Elementary)35.934.3
 1.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (San Jose Unified)49.348.7
 0.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
3rd Grade Reading/Language Arts (Merritt Trace Elementary)25.515.4
 10.1%
   3rd Grade Reading/Language Arts (San Jose Unified)20.916.2
 4.7%
   3rd Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)13.88.7
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Merritt Trace Elementary)54.133.8
 20.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Jose Unified)55.947.4
 8.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Merritt Trace Elementary)36.728.9
 7.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (San Jose Unified)47.145.7
 1.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
4th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Merritt Trace Elementary)28.2
 6.2%
   4th Grade Reading/Language Arts (San Jose Unified)15.69.6
 6.1%
   4th Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)14.59.1
 5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Merritt Trace Elementary)42.441.9
 0.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Jose Unified)57.852.1
 5.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Merritt Trace Elementary)17.618.2
 0.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (San Jose Unified)42.138.7
 3.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Merritt Trace Elementary)22.628.4
 5.8%
   5th Grade Science (San Jose Unified)39.339.1
 0.2%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%
5th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Merritt Trace Elementary)107.6
 2.5%
   5th Grade Reading/Language Arts (San Jose Unified)18.317.1
 1.2%
   5th Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)138.8
 4.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students926831
 10.3%
African American3717
 54.1%
American Indian01
Asian4434
 22.7%
Hispanic637592
 7.1%
Pacific Islander41
 75%
White151143
 5.3%
Two or More Races5343
 18.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51.1%54.4%
 3.3%


Schools Near Merritt Trace Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Merritt Trace Elementary

Merritt Trace Elementary ranks 3529th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Merritt Trace Elementary are 71% Hispanic, 17% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

Students who attend Merritt Trace Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Herbert Hoover Middle
High : Abraham Lincoln High

In the 2022-23 school year, 831 students attended Merritt Trace Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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