Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?

Pioneer Elementary ranks 3277 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,062 students attended Pioneer Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer Elementary?

Students at Pioneer Elementary are 71% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 8% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Pioneer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Weaver Middle High : Golden Valley High

Pioneer Elementary

Summary:

Pioneer Elementary is a public elementary school located in Merced, California, serving 1,126 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Weaver Union District, which is ranked 1063 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pioneer Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 11.0% in 2018-2019 to 44.3% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the state average of 25.3%. The school's proficiency rates in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rate in English Language Arts was 37%, compared to the state average of 47.04% and the district average of 32.68%. Similarly, the school's proficiency rate in Mathematics was 35.93%, compared to the state average of 35.54% and the district average of 27.29%. Pioneer Elementary's performance varies across different student subgroups, ranking particularly low for Asian and Multi-racial students but better for Hispanic and English Language Learner students.

The school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, from a high of 2134 out of 5,530 California elementary schools in 2012-2013 to a low of 4383 out of 5,883 in 2021-2022. When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Merced City Elementary District, such as Luther Burbank Elementary and Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary, Pioneer Elementary generally performs worse in terms of test scores, chronic absenteeism, and overall school rankings. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Pioneer Elementary, coupled with the school's lower academic performance, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be playing a significant role in student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

2950 Gerard Ave.
Merced, CA 95341-5433

(209) 725-7111

District: Weaver Union

SchoolDigger Rank:
3277^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Weaver Middle
High:	Golden Valley High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.9

Number of students: 1,062

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.8%

Asian:

10.9%

White:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 80.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pioneer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pioneer Elementary ranks worse than 55.9% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.32. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 (70.8%), Asian (10.9%), White (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 80.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary is 19.9. (See more...)

Compare Pioneer Elementary employs 53.2 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pioneer Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pioneer Elementary 3277^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Pioneer 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:

Weaver Union:

SchoolDigger ranks Weaver Union 1063^rd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pioneer Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2008	49.52	2396^th	5113	53.1%
2009	42.93	2874^th	5193	44.7%
2010	42.50	3018^th	5314	43.2%
2011	42.06	3080^th	5377	42.7%
2012	54.56	2359^th	5390	56.2%
2013	59.57	2134^th	5530	61.4%
2015	34.32	3377^th	5611	39.8%
2016	33.86	3488^th	5614	37.9%
2017	35.80	3382^nd	5692	40.6%
2018	41.03	3084^th	5662	45.5%
2019	41.57	3095^th	5789	46.5%
2022	24.70	4383^rd	5883	25.5%
2023	33.98	3576^th	5874	39.1%
2024	38.32	3277^th	5862	44.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	1.86	601^st	610	1.5%
2023	8.75	629^th	669	6.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.35	1146^th	3246	64.7%
2019	60.51	808^th	3275	75.3%
2022	38.45	1921^st	3311	42.0%
2023	51.46	1112^th	3250	65.8%
2024	62.01	652^nd	3160	79.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.93	1520^th	2420	37.2%
2024	38.35	1409^th	2634	46.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.88	2305^th	5084	54.7%
2019	49.92	2411^th	5173	53.4%
2022	28.88	3935^th	5264	25.2%
2023	41.08	2980^th	5374	44.5%
2024	53.52	2153^rd	5511	60.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.56	2981^st	5413	44.9%
2019	40.98	3048^th	5492	44.5%
2022	24.26	4286^th	5635	23.9%
2023	35.59	3321^st	5617	40.9%
2024	43.97	2797^th	5605	50.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.62	1467^th	2128	31.1%
2019	41.30	1255^th	2585	51.5%
2022	46.09	906^th	2227	59.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.51	3010^th	5431	44.6%
2019	41.71	2932^nd	5510	46.8%
2022	26.59	4081^st	5663	27.9%
2023	32.57	3572^nd	5650	36.8%
2024	32.49	3604^th	5636	36.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.61	966^th	1071	9.8%
2019	14.64	1017^th	1149	11.5%
2022	5.42	1073^rd	1154	7.0%
2023	3.31	1138^th	1190	4.4%
2024	4.86	1127^th	1203	6.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	30.64	537^th	747	28.1%
2023	20.70	585^th	662	11.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.45	1937^th	4830	59.9%
2019	53.80	2053^rd	4963	58.6%
2022	33.37	3423^rd	5084	32.7%
2023	49.04	2293^rd	5098	55.0%
2024	50.51	2230^th	5102	56.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Pioneer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	22.25	2276^th	2737	16.8%
2019	28.74	2181^st	2834	23.0%
2022	14.18	2416^th	2726	11.4%
2023	23.70	2134^th	2662	19.8%
2024	28.42	2002^nd	2647	24.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Pioneer Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	253	38	132	215	0	n/a	n/a	0	638
1996	253	38	132	215	0	n/a	n/a	0	638
1997	234	48	125	248	0	n/a	n/a	0	655
1998	225	53	105	234	0	n/a	n/a	0	617
1999	188	52	102	269	0	n/a	n/a	0	611
2000	182	53	99	288	2	n/a	n/a	0	624
2001	188	46	92	323	0	n/a	n/a	0	649
2002	205	58	99	341	1	n/a	n/a	0	704
2003	205	58	99	341	1	n/a	n/a	0	704
2004	175	53	95	418	0	n/a	n/a	0	741
2005	169	52	137	465	0	n/a	n/a	0	823
2006	139	55	153	558	1	n/a	n/a	0	906
2007	148	69	200	636	0	n/a	n/a	1	1054
2008	161	70	103	456	3	n/a	n/a	0	793
2009	166	65	118	483	2	7	12	0	853
2010	170	72	111	534	3	8	5	0	903
2011	163	83	104	565	1	5	11	0	932
2012	149	70	105	580	3	6	12	0	925
2013	132	58	98	579	2	3	48	0	920
2014	139	58	108	663	1	3	50	0	1022
2015	138	56	125	694	1	0	55	0	1069
2016	135	53	118	724	2	0	45	0	1077
2017	145	50	122	720	10	0	27	0	1074
2018	138	38	134	683	9	2	42	0	1046
2019	142	43	130	678	8	2	51	0	1054
2020	124	45	135	688	8	2	51	0	1053
2021	124	49	123	686	6	2	53	0	1043
2022	113	49	132	705	6	2	65	0	1072
2023	108	65	128	741	5	2	77	0	1126
2024	85	43	116	752	5	1	60	0	1062

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 Pioneer Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	638	25.0	25.5	78.7
1996	638	25.0	25.5	78.7
1997	655	34.0	19.3	82.4
1998	617	36.0	17.1	78.3
1999	611	36.5	16.7	78.1
2000	624	35.0	17.8	82.7
2001	649	37.5	17.3	76.1
2002	704	43.5	16.2	61.2
2003	704	43.5	16.2	61.2
2004	741	45.0	16.5	81.2
2005	823	49.0	16.8	80.8
2006	906	55.5	16.3	89.2
2007	1054	62.5	16.9	n/a
2008	793	47.0	16.9	74.9
2009	853	45.0	17.4	77.8
2010	903	45.0	20.0	81.9
2011	932	n/a	n/a	81.1
2012	925	44.1	20.9	84
2013	920	45.0	20.4	84.2
2014	1022	43.0	23.7	78.9
2015	1069	45.0	23.7	83
2016	1077	44.0	24.4	82.4
2017	1074	45.0	23.8	82
2018	1046	48.0	21.7	82.3
2019	1054	50.0	21.0	79.1
2020	1053	n/a	n/a	74
2021	1043	47.3	22.0	75.6
2022	1072	50.0	21.4	64.2
2023	1126	53.8	20.9	67.4
2024	1062	53.2	19.9	80.1

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 Pioneer Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	638	25.0	25.5	78.7
1996	638	25.0	25.5	78.7
1997	655	34.0	19.3	82.4
1998	617	36.0	17.1	78.3
1999	611	36.5	16.7	78.1
2000	624	35.0	17.8	82.7
2001	649	37.5	17.3	76.1
2002	704	43.5	16.2	61.2
2003	704	43.5	16.2	61.2
2004	741	45.0	16.5	81.2
2005	823	49.0	16.8	80.8
2006	906	55.5	16.3	89.2
2007	1054	62.5	16.9	n/a
2008	793	47.0	16.9	74.9
2009	853	45.0	17.4	77.8
2010	903	45.0	20.0	81.9
2011	932	n/a	n/a	81.1
2012	925	44.1	20.9	84
2013	920	45.0	20.4	84.2
2014	1022	43.0	23.7	78.9
2015	1069	45.0	23.7	83
2016	1077	44.0	24.4	82.4
2017	1074	45.0	23.8	82
2018	1046	48.0	21.7	82.3
2019	1054	50.0	21.0	79.1
2020	1053	n/a	n/a	74
2021	1043	47.3	22.0	75.6
2022	1072	50.0	21.4	64.2
2023	1126	53.8	20.9	67.4
2024	1062	53.2	19.9	80.1

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.

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