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El Nido Elementary

Q: Is El Nido Elementary a good school?

El Nido Elementary ranks 3027 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

3027^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of California elementary schools

Summary

El Nido Elementary is a small, rural K-8 school serving 156 students in the El Nido Elementary district, and it stands out for making strong, steady academic progress while serving a community where nearly all students face economic challenges.

The school is a notable success story, having improved its statewide ranking significantly over the past decade. While test scores in English, Math, and Science are close to the state average, they are much higher than other nearby schools with similar high-poverty student populations, such as Alicia Reyes Elementary and Don Stowell Elementary. A key strength is its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 4.9%, which is far better than the state average and most surrounding schools, including higher-performing ones like Alview Elementary. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending over $24,000 per pupil, which supports a favorable student-teacher ratio and likely contributes to its effective support for English Learners and students from low-income families.

Compared to the most similar school, Plainsburg Union Elementary (another small, rural K-8), El Nido Elementary achieves comparable academic results despite serving a community with greater economic need, and it does so with higher per-student spending and better attendance. Being part of a higher-performing district than the large Merced City Elementary district may provide systemic advantages. The overall picture is of a small school that leverages its size and resources to build strong relationships, maintain excellent attendance, and help its students succeed.

156

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,309

Per pupil spending ?

94.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

161 East El Nido Rd.
El Nido, CA 95317-9762

(209) 385-8420

District: El Nido Elementary

Students who attend El Nido Elementary usually attend:

High:

Golden Valley High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.5%

White:

10.3%

Asian:

1.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare El Nido Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg39%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,027^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

940^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 35 pts since 2015

From bottom 31% (2015) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

608^th of 1,543El Nido 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.7	3027 of 5857	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	4084 of 5869	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	3230 of 5859	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	3562 of 5883	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.8	868 of 1417	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.3	4164 of 5789	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.2	4920 of 5662	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.5	4047 of 5692	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.4	4316 of 5614	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.0	3256 of 5611	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	27.9	4206 of 5530	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.8	3533 of 5390	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	34.6	3646 of 5377	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.1	3109 of 5314	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.9	2615 of 5193	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.5	1963 of 5113	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.8	1935 of 5113	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.2	1907 of 4818	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	30.2	3261 of 4822	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	19.6	3956 of 4809	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	58.1	836 of 3311	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	83.0	47 of 602	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	70.7	518 of 3275	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	50.0	1251 of 3246	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.3	1934 of 5597	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.7	2884 of 5612	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.3	4133 of 5492	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.8	5240 of 5413	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.4	1902 of 5107	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.1	3109 of 5107	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	2161 of 5087	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.2	2317 of 5084	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.9	2974 of 4963	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.4	3942 of 4830	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.8	2145 of 5460	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.4	3577 of 5517	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	2373 of 5363	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.3	2984 of 5264	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.1	392 of 1110	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.7	3149 of 5173	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.2	4108 of 5084	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	28.2	3944 of 5663	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.2	634 of 1272	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.4	2179 of 5510	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.5	940 of 2761	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.7	1598 of 2783	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	1071 of 2781	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.9	1498 of 2740	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	449 of 894	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.7	2032 of 2715	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.9	1858 of 2480	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.3	1551 of 2508	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.3	1637 of 2497	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.1	1700 of 2477	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.9	1642 of 2379	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.9	1274 of 2259	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.1	784 of 2236	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.0	1136 of 2179	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	58.7	781 of 2063	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	31.0	1398 of 2005	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	31.2	1357 of 1999	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	24.5	1389 of 1804	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.9	1153 of 1777	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	32.6	1145 of 1769	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2021	24.2	560 of 738	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.6	349 of 2395	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	53.2	905 of 2388	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.4	571 of 2374	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	50.6	979 of 2359	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.8	1547 of 2213	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.1	1621 of 2072	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.2	581 of 2542	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	44.6	1216 of 2579	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	695 of 2531	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	56.2	833 of 2458	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	217 of 721	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	32.8	1567 of 2369	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.4	1543 of 2230	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.5	950 of 2534	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.3	1574 of 2538	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

English Language Learner (2022)75th percentile+35 vs school

Female (2025)65th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)63rd percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)61st percentile+12 vs school

Male (2022)30th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)85th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)77th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)63rd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2021)24th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science30%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near El Nido Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
El Nido Elementary	Public	K-8	161 East El Nido Rd.	El Nido	95317	Merced County	El Nido Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-8420	156	9	17.3	94.9%	16 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	138 (88.5%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.7	3027^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.3%		28.3	4084^th of 5869 public elementary schools	30.4%	1057	23.8	36.8	30.0	46.2	13.3	42.9	50.0	53.3	57.9	44.7	46.2	26.7	42.9	30.0	33.3	36.8	35.9							$24,309	$533	$23,776
Alview Elementary	Public	K-3	20513 Road 4	Chowchilla	93610	Madera County	Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 665-2275	183	9	20.4	55.7%	61 (33.3%)	1 (0.5%)	119 (65.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)				52.6						52.6	48.8						48.8	94.3	94.3			94.3	94.3	$16,725	$3,740	$12,985
Farmdale Elementary	Public	K-5	100 Winder Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Weaver Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 725-7170	919	44	20.7	92.9%	41 (4.5%)	31 (3.4%)	682 (74.2%)	149 (16.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.5%)	40.8	3162^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	46.0%		28.5	4070^th of 5869 public elementary schools	30.7%	908	12.3		12.3	57.6	38.1	27.8				41.1	68.4	33.1	16.6				39.2	98.2						$19,104	$3,058	$16,046
Pioneer Elementary	Public	K-5	2950 Gerard Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Weaver Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 725-7111	1,055	52	20.3	91.2%	74 (7.0%)	46 (4.4%)	773 (73.3%)	98 (9.3%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	57 (5.4%)	40.2	3203^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	45.3%		38.3	3283^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	44.1%	80	17.6		17.6	33.7	48.8	43.6				41.8	36.4	47.9	24.2				36.2	95.6	97.8		97.8	97.8	97.8	$17,836	$2,855	$14,981
Alicia Reyes Elementary	Public	K-6	123 South N St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6761	540	22	24.6	96.3%	6 (1.1%)	13 (2.4%)	495 (91.7%)	16 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.5%)	9.7	5650^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.5%		16.3	5189^th of 5869 public elementary schools	11.6%	461	12.5		12.5	13.3	14.0	21.9	22.5			17.8	14.7	10.5	11.1	5.6			10.2							$18,282	$2,395	$15,887
Don Stowell Elementary	Public	K-6	251 East 11th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-2803	501	23	21.8	96.0%	17 (3.4%)	25 (5.0%)	437 (87.2%)	12 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	14.5	5312^th of 5857 public elementary schools	9.3%		12.1	5549^th of 5869 public elementary schools	5.5%	237	13.2		13.2	20.0	16.4	23.7	28.0			22.2	30.8	18.9	10.9	7.9			16.3	92.8		94.2	97.1	94.2		$17,843	$2,511	$15,332
Margaret Sheehy Elementary	Public	K-6	1240 West Sixth St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6676	481	20	24.0	94.4%	16 (3.3%)	33 (6.9%)	395 (82.1%)	19 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.3%)	18.2	4996^th of 5857 public elementary schools	14.7%		13.7	5423^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	7.6%	427	7.6		7.6	28.6	32.1	26.6	18.2			26.2	36.4	22.6	4.6	13.6			19.9	95.6				96.7		$19,326	$3,396	$15,930
Charles Wright Elementary	Public	K-6	900 East 20th St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6615	527	24	22.0	80.3%	60 (11.4%)	5 (0.9%)	402 (76.3%)	23 (4.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.3%)	25.2	4373^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	25.3%		22.3	4653^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	20.7%	280	16.4		16.4	33.8	34.9	30.1	38.0			34.3	36.4	20.3	20.6	8.9			21.5							$18,304	$2,340	$15,964
Plainsburg Union Elementary	Public	K-8	3708 South Plainsburg Rd.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Plainsburg Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 389-4707	113	6	19.4	47.8%	50 (44.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (53.1%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42.7	3024^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.4%		41.3	3103^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	47.1%	79	23.1	23.1	23.1	36.4	41.7	46.2	53.9		61.5	51.4	45.5	33.3	30.8	23.1		23.1	33.3							$16,280	$1,837	$14,443
Leontine Gracey Elementary	Public	K-6	945 West Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6710	509	22	23.1	81.7%	25 (4.9%)	14 (2.8%)	419 (82.3%)	31 (6.1%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.6%)	23.7	4525^th of 5857 public elementary schools	22.7%		26.4	4260^th of 5869 public elementary schools	27.4%	265	17.0		17.0	15.8	21.9	30.5	52.2			29.5	15.4	16.2	10.2	38.8			20.1							$18,940	$2,368	$16,572

Frequently Asked Questions about El Nido Elementary

Is El Nido Elementary a good school?

El Nido Elementary ranks 3027^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend El Nido Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 156 students attended El Nido Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of El Nido Elementary?

Students at El Nido Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 10% White, 1% Asian.

What district is El Nido Elementary in?

El Nido Elementary

What schools do graduates of El Nido Elementary attend?

Students who attend El Nido Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Golden Valley High

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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.