Is Merlinda Elementary a good school?

Merlinda Elementary ranks 2424 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Merlinda Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 464 students attended Merlinda Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Merlinda Elementary?

Students at Merlinda Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 3% White, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Merlinda Elementary attend?

Students who attend Merlinda Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Walnut Grove Intermediate High : Edgewood High High : West Covina High

Merlinda Elementary

Summary:

Merlinda Elementary is a public elementary school located in West Covina, California, serving 451 students in grades K-6. It is part of the West Covina Unified School District, which is ranked 605 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merlinda Elementary has shown mixed performance on standardized tests, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics generally lower than the district and state averages, though the school has performed better in certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and Special Education students. The school's performance has fluctuated over the years, and it has a notably higher chronic absenteeism rate of 21.9% compared to the district and state. Additionally, Merlinda Elementary has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.65% to 74.5% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Compared to nearby schools in the West Covina Unified School District, such as Orangewood Elementary, Merced Elementary, and Vine Elementary, Merlinda Elementary's performance is generally lower. However, the school has shown exceptional performance in serving its homeless student population, ranking among the top schools in the state for this subgroup in recent years.

Detail:

Public K-6

1120 South Valinda Ave.
West Covina, CA 91790-5361

(626) 931-1720

District: West Covina Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2424^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,110

Students who attend Merlinda Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Walnut Grove Intermediate
High:	Edgewood High
	West Covina High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.8

Number of students: 464

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.0%

Asian:

17.9%

White:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Merlinda Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Merlinda Elementary ranks better than 58.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the West Covina Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.49. (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 (75%), Asian (17.9%), White (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merlinda Elementary is 23.8, which is the 4^th best among 7 elementary schools in the West Covina Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Merlinda Elementary employs 19.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merlinda Elementary is $7,110. 5 elementary schools in the West Covina Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merlinda Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Merlinda Elementary 2424^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Merlinda 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:

Hispanic students:

West Covina Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks West Covina Unified 605^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Merlinda Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	56.69	1843^rd	4809	61.7%
2005	60.00	1737^th	4822	64.0%
2006	55.25	1950^th	4818	59.5%
2007	51.50	2230^th	5113	56.4%
2008	58.94	1898^th	5113	62.9%
2009	49.63	2514^th	5193	51.6%
2010	58.53	2065^th	5314	61.1%
2011	70.11	1482^nd	5377	72.4%
2012	71.52	1438^th	5390	73.3%
2013	79.13	1105^th	5530	80.0%
2015	67.37	1599^th	5611	71.5%
2016	58.82	2053^rd	5614	63.4%
2017	57.95	2122^nd	5692	62.7%
2018	70.56	1546^th	5662	72.7%
2019	60.93	2017^th	5789	65.2%
2022	70.00	1606^th	5883	72.7%
2023	65.49	1783^rd	5874	69.6%
2024	52.49	2424^th	5862	58.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	55.82	972^nd	3275	70.3%
2024	34.73	2196^th	3160	30.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.31	1071^st	2420	55.7%
2024	68.63	518^th	2634	80.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.05	527^th	5084	89.6%
2019	74.46	952^nd	5173	81.6%
2022	83.21	628^th	5264	88.1%
2023	78.37	837^th	5374	84.4%
2024	59.96	1788^th	5511	67.6%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	91.83	17^th	356	95.2%
2023	84.45	31^st	336	90.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.45	1391^st	5413	74.3%
2019	57.26	2102^nd	5492	61.7%
2022	66.99	1639^th	5635	70.9%
2023	62.75	1818^th	5617	67.6%
2024	53.93	2223^rd	5605	60.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	46.43	865^th	2128	59.4%
2019	30.11	1791^st	2585	30.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.93	1613^th	5431	70.3%
2019	62.63	1839^th	5510	66.6%
2022	69.87	1533^rd	5663	72.9%
2023	65.78	1692^nd	5650	70.1%
2024	50.38	2440^th	5636	56.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Merlinda Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.99	566^th	4830	88.3%
2019	70.85	1130^th	4963	77.2%
2022	85.03	551^st	5084	89.2%
2023	79.04	787^th	5098	84.6%
2024	62.07	1568^th	5102	69.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Merlinda Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	168	59	31	181	2	n/a	n/a	0	441
1989	162	57	49	193	0	n/a	n/a	0	461
1990	173	37	55	214	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
1991	168	45	55	243	2	n/a	n/a	0	513
1992	144	44	62	275	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
1993	124	41	64	284	0	n/a	n/a	0	513
1994	115	42	61	280	0	n/a	n/a	0	498
1995	130	89	28	357	0	n/a	n/a	0	604
1996	130	89	28	357	0	n/a	n/a	0	604
1997	121	63	41	352	1	n/a	n/a	0	578
1998	116	44	65	380	1	n/a	n/a	0	606
1999	98	40	58	365	1	n/a	n/a	0	562
2000	77	37	62	403	0	n/a	n/a	0	579
2001	66	24	54	406	0	n/a	n/a	6	556
2002	58	20	67	421	1	n/a	n/a	2	569
2003	58	20	67	421	1	n/a	n/a	2	569
2004	45	15	66	423	1	n/a	n/a	2	552
2005	43	10	82	405	1	n/a	n/a	0	541
2006	40	18	72	398	0	n/a	n/a	5	533
2007	34	16	70	407	0	n/a	n/a	0	527
2008	43	19	68	478	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	608
2009	44	20	77	484	0	0	0	0	625
2010	50	30	71	480	1	0	0	0	632
2011	38	24	75	474	2	1	0	0	614
2012	32	20	86	486	2	2	0	0	628
2013	33	23	81	511	1	2	0	0	651
2014	28	19	70	485	2	1	1	0	606
2015	20	15	73	468	2	1	1	0	580
2016	23	15	72	500	1	1	1	0	613
2017	19	19	82	477	1	1	1	0	600
2018	22	16	93	482	0	1	2	0	616
2019	18	8	77	441	0	1	1	0	546
2020	15	9	74	438	0	0	2	0	538
2021	18	7	68	388	0	0	4	0	485
2022	18	9	60	364	1	0	4	1	457
2023	18	9	72	347	1	0	4	0	451
2024	12	11	83	348	1	0	9	0	464

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 Merlinda Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	441	16.0	27.5	n/a
1989	461	17.0	27.1	n/a
1990	479	18.0	26.6	n/a
1991	513	19.0	27.0	n/a
1992	525	19.3	27.2	33.7
1993	513	19.0	27.0	42.7
1994	498	18.0	27.7	33.9
1995	604	23.0	26.3	55.1
1996	604	23.0	26.3	55.1
1997	578	25.0	23.1	55.7
1998	606	26.5	22.9	54.3
1999	562	27.0	20.8	54.8
2000	579	29.0	20.0	58.9
2001	556	28.5	19.5	57.6
2002	569	28.0	20.3	54.3
2003	569	28.0	20.3	54.3
2004	552	26.0	21.2	49.6
2005	541	27.2	19.9	57.7
2006	533	26.2	20.3	60
2007	527	27.0	19.5	58.4
2008	608	30.0	20.3	60.5
2009	625	29.0	20.8	67
2010	632	29.0	21.7	64.4
2011	614	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	628	28.1	22.3	n/a
2013	651	28.1	23.1	80
2014	606	25.0	24.2	75.4
2015	580	24.0	24.1	79.3
2016	613	25.0	24.5	76.2
2017	600	25.0	24.0	75.8
2018	616	25.0	24.6	73.5
2019	546	23.5	23.2	76.6
2020	538	n/a	n/a	76
2021	485	19.7	24.6	73.6
2022	457	18.6	24.4	72.6
2023	451	18.3	24.6	74.5
2024	464	19.4	23.8	75.2

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 Merlinda Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	441	16.0	27.5	n/a
1989	461	17.0	27.1	n/a
1990	479	18.0	26.6	n/a
1991	513	19.0	27.0	n/a
1992	525	19.3	27.2	33.7
1993	513	19.0	27.0	42.7
1994	498	18.0	27.7	33.9
1995	604	23.0	26.3	55.1
1996	604	23.0	26.3	55.1
1997	578	25.0	23.1	55.7
1998	606	26.5	22.9	54.3
1999	562	27.0	20.8	54.8
2000	579	29.0	20.0	58.9
2001	556	28.5	19.5	57.6
2002	569	28.0	20.3	54.3
2003	569	28.0	20.3	54.3
2004	552	26.0	21.2	49.6
2005	541	27.2	19.9	57.7
2006	533	26.2	20.3	60
2007	527	27.0	19.5	58.4
2008	608	30.0	20.3	60.5
2009	625	29.0	20.8	67
2010	632	29.0	21.7	64.4
2011	614	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	628	28.1	22.3	n/a
2013	651	28.1	23.1	80
2014	606	25.0	24.2	75.4
2015	580	24.0	24.1	79.3
2016	613	25.0	24.5	76.2
2017	600	25.0	24.0	75.8
2018	616	25.0	24.6	73.5
2019	546	23.5	23.2	76.6
2020	538	n/a	n/a	76
2021	485	19.7	24.6	73.6
2022	457	18.6	24.4	72.6
2023	451	18.3	24.6	74.5
2024	464	19.4	23.8	75.2

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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