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Thomas Olaeta Elementary

Q: Is Thomas Olaeta Elementary a good school?

Thomas Olaeta Elementary ranks 2288 th of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

2288^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of California elementary schools

Summary

Thomas Olaeta Elementary serves 374 students in grades K–6 in Atwater. Its 2025–26 results vary by subject, with math standing out as the clearest strength. Math proficiency was 46%, compared with 38% statewide and 33% in the Atwater Elementary district; among 10 nearby schools, Thomas Olaeta had the second-highest result.

Compared with nearby schools, the school also ranked third in ELA and fifth in science. ELA proficiency was 46%—above the district but about 3 points below the state. The all-grades result hides a notable weakness in sixth-grade ELA: 35% were proficient, versus 48% statewide and 44% in the district, and only one nearby school serving sixth grade had a lower result. Science proficiency was 33%, below the state’s 36% but above the district’s 24%; it was close to the nearby-school average of 32%. The school’s 2025–26 chronic absenteeism rate was 7%, below the district’s 8% and the state’s 18%.

Results have improved overall since 2022–23: ELA rose 3 points, math 6 points and science 11 points, though ELA and science fell in the latest year. SchoolDigger placed the school at the 61st percentile with 3 stars in 2025–26, down from the 68th percentile two years earlier but above the nearby-school average of about the 50th percentile; the district was at the 47th percentile with 2 stars. Contextually, the 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 22.0, below the nearby average of about 23, and 74% of students were eligible for free/reduced lunch. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking for Special Education Students was notably higher than the school’s overall ranking: the group stood at the 76th percentile in 2025–26, up from the 47th percentile in 2022–23, while the overall percentile rose from 57 to 61. For Disabled Students, SchoolDigger reported a much lower 13th-percentile ranking in 2021–22, compared with the school’s overall 56th percentile that year.

374

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,002

Per pupil spending ?

73.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

93%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

2266 High St.
Atwater, CA 95301-2831

(209) 357-6148

District: Atwater Elementary

Students who attend Thomas Olaeta Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mitchell Intermediate
High:	Buhach Colony High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.4%

White:

13.6%

Asian:

4.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Thomas Olaeta Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Atwater Elementary

✓Above the California median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg36%

California avg42%

2,288^th of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 8Elementary Schools in the Atwater Elementary

811^th of 1,530Atwater Elementary among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	2288 of 5817	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.3	2051 of 5857	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	1870 of 5869	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.4	2509 of 5859	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	2594 of 5883	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.7	2394 of 5789	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.2	2276 of 5662	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.3	2366 of 5692	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.5	1790 of 5614	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.2	1569 of 5611	72.0%	★★★★☆
2013	71.0	1526 of 5530	72.4%	★★★★☆
2012	67.6	1648 of 5390	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.8	1858 of 5377	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.3	2556 of 5314	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	29.0	3784 of 5193	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	39.5	2971 of 5113	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.7	2221 of 5113	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	41.3	2648 of 4818	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	43.3	2522 of 4822	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	37.7	2769 of 4809	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	21.7	1932 of 2227	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.5	592 of 2585	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	58.5	613 of 2128	71.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	55.0	979 of 3245	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	2770 of 5581	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.0	2405 of 5597	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	2020 of 5612	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	2678 of 5609	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	2722 of 5635	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	2341 of 5492	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.2	1916 of 5413	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	1271 of 5094	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	65.4	1424 of 5107	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	1016 of 5107	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	55.4	1918 of 5087	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	1664 of 5084	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.7	1306 of 4963	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	1513 of 4830	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	67.6	1444 of 5423	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	65.4	1534 of 5460	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	1197 of 5517	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	57.8	1889 of 5363	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.3	1959 of 5264	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.4	1933 of 5173	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.2	1735 of 5084	65.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	1852 of 5603	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.4	1680 of 5628	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	67.2	1652 of 5643	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	54.9	2180 of 5638	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	2312 of 5663	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.1	2312 of 5510	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	2513 of 5431	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	63.8	712 of 2927	75.7%	★★★★☆
2023	38.3	1276 of 2420	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	53.3	1323 of 2651	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.2	1424 of 2661	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.7	1586 of 2726	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.6	2021 of 2834	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.0	1686 of 2737	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)76th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile+13 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)70th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile-10 vs school

White (2024)50th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2022)13th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy46%-3 vs state

Mathematics46%+7 vs state

Science33%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas Olaeta Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Olaeta Elementary	Public	K-6	2266 High St.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6148	374	17	22.0	73.8%	51 (13.6%)	6 (1.6%)	282 (75.4%)	17 (4.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.5%)	55.7	2288^th of 5817 public elementary schools	60.7%		60.3	2051^st of 5857 public elementary schools	65.0%	237	32.7		32.7	49.1	45.1	54.9	35.4			46.3	50.9	41.2	47.1	43.8			45.9	93%	0%	$26,002	$23,884	$2,118
Shaffer Elementary	Public	K-6	1434 California St.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6145	405	18	22.2	81.0%	48 (11.9%)	5 (1.2%)	324 (80.0%)	21 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	39.5	3261^st of 5817 public elementary schools	43.9%		32.2	3784^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.4%	523	27.5		27.5	28.3	35.7	45.1	46.3			38.8	39.6	35.7	29.4	35.2			35.1	≥ 98%		$24,606	$22,466	$2,140
Juniper Elementary	Public	K-6	661 East Juniper Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-9930	495	20	24.7	73.3%	61 (12.3%)	4 (0.8%)	381 (77.0%)	36 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	49.3	2648^th of 5817 public elementary schools	54.5%		54.4	2345^th of 5857 public elementary schools	60.0%	303	41.4		41.4	36.4	28.3	58.6	59.7			46.0	32.7	20.0	32.8	54.8			35.3	98%	0%	$20,392	$18,244	$2,148
Elmer Wood Elementary	Public	K-6	1271 West Bellevue Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6143	514	22	23.3	76.3%	95 (18.5%)	7 (1.4%)	387 (75.3%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	47.1	2778^th of 5817 public elementary schools	52.2%		47.7	2725^th of 5857 public elementary schools	53.5%	53	39.3		39.3	28.6	41.6	50.6	40.4			40.5	33.8	49.4	32.9	42.1			39.2	97%	0%	$21,732	$19,418	$2,314
Bellevue Elementary	Public	K-6	1020 East Bellevue Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6140	599	25	23.9	91.8%	30 (5.0%)	9 (1.5%)	535 (89.3%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.2%)	32.1	3812^th of 5817 public elementary schools	34.5%		33.1	3716^th of 5857 public elementary schools	36.6%	96	21.7		21.7	33.7	33.8	44.6	38.2			37.8	33.3	29.5	28.0	23.3			28.4	≥ 98%		$25,194	$22,748	$2,446
Mitchell Elementary	Public	K-6	1761 Grove Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6112	528	22	24.0	86.0%	40 (7.6%)	8 (1.5%)	444 (84.1%)	21 (4.0%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	51.8	2507^th of 5817 public elementary schools	56.9%		54.7	2324^th of 5857 public elementary schools	60.3%	183	22.9		22.9	40.7	40.3	39.6	56.7			45.4	61.5	45.5	33.3	30.9			43.8	≥ 98%		$23,398	$21,320	$2,078
Peggy Heller Elementary	Public	K-8	201 Lake View Dr.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6517	712	30	23.7	63.8%	138 (19.4%)	12 (1.7%)	499 (70.1%)	35 (4.9%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	21 (2.9%)	42.4	3084^th of 5817 public elementary schools	47.0%		36.6	3434^th of 5857 public elementary schools	41.4%	350	21.0	27.6	24.8	35.4	50.0	43.6	39.7	46.2	49.4	44.1	48.2	37.8	29.0	30.8	33.3	40.2	36.9	93%	1%	$20,385	$18,046	$2,339
Aileen Colburn Elementary	Public	K-6	2201 Heller St.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6136	371	17	21.8	91.6%	33 (8.9%)	12 (3.2%)	322 (86.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	35	3583^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	38.4%		40.1	3216^th of 5857 public elementary schools	45.1%	367	16.7		16.7	40.4	51.0	42.6	26.4			40.0	50.0	31.4	24.1	14.8			29.9	≥ 98%		$24,989	$22,596	$2,393
Frank Sparkes Elementary	Public	K-5	7265 West Almond Ave.	Winton	95388	Merced County	Winton	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6180	422	18	23.4	92.7%	21 (5.0%)	2 (0.5%)	377 (89.3%)	20 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	77.8	1226^th of 5817 public elementary schools	78.9%		78.9	1200^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.5%	26	51.5		51.5	62.5	65.5	64.6				64.2	65.6	49.2	45.5				53.4	≥ 98%		$20,087	$19,110	$977
Winfield Elementary	Public	K-5	6981 Chestnut Ln.	Winton	95388	Merced County	Winton	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6891	444	20	22.2	92.6%	22 (5.0%)	5 (1.1%)	403 (90.8%)	11 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33	3744^th of 5817 public elementary schools	35.6%		34.8	3603^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	38.5%	141	17.4		17.4	46.6	34.7	27.5				36.5	50.7	27.8	17.4				32.2	≥ 98%		$26,202	$25,010	$1,192

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Olaeta Elementary

Is Thomas Olaeta Elementary a good school?

Thomas Olaeta Elementary ranks 2288^th of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Olaeta Elementary?

Students at Thomas Olaeta Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 14% White, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Thomas Olaeta Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 374 students attended Thomas Olaeta Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Thomas Olaeta Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thomas Olaeta Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mitchell Intermediate
High : Buhach Colony High

What district is Thomas Olaeta Elementary in?

Atwater Elementary

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

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.