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Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary

Q: Is Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary a good school?

Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary ranks 2901 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

2901^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of California elementary schools

Summary

Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 722 students in the Merced City Elementary district, which faces significant educational challenges across the region.

Academically, Chenoweth stands out as one of the stronger schools in its district, with test scores in English, math, and science that are consistently higher than the district average and are close to the state average. For example, it outperforms nearby schools like John Muir Elementary and Charles Wright Elementary by a notable margin. The school also has a lower rate of chronic student absenteeism (18.2%) than most district peers, which is an important indicator of student engagement. While about 60% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, this is a lower level of economic need than at many surrounding schools, such as Rudolph Rivera Elementary and Don Stowell Elementary.

Despite its relative strengths, the school faces some important challenges. There is a significant performance gap, with female students outperforming male students. Scores for students from low-income families and those in special education have declined in recent years, and fifth-grade math scores are a particular concern. While the school's statewide ranking has slipped over the past decade to the middle of the pack, its ability to achieve near-state-average results within a struggling district suggests it may have effective practices in place that benefit its students.

722

Students ?

24.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,075

Per pupil spending ?

59.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3200 Parsons Ave.
Merced, CA 95340-1624

(209) 385-6620

District: Merced City Elementary

Students who attend Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle
High:	El Capitan High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.0%

White:

19.1%

Asian:

9.0%

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Compare Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2013 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Merced City Elementary

✓Above the California median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2013

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

!Large classes — about 25 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg27%

California avg41%

2,901^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 39% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 13Elementary Schools in the Merced City Elementary

1221^st of 1,543Merced City 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
2025	44.8	2901 of 5857	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	2955 of 5869	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.5	2502 of 5859	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.4	2326 of 5883	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	2065 of 5789	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.1	2077 of 5662	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.8	2128 of 5692	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.2	1937 of 5614	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.6	2210 of 5611	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.5	1918 of 5530	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.2	1719 of 5390	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.7	1461 of 5377	72.8%	★★★★☆
2010	70.4	1438 of 5314	72.9%	★★★★☆
2009	71.7	1360 of 5193	73.8%	★★★★☆
2008	67.1	1536 of 5113	70.0%	★★★★☆
2007	61.4	1749 of 5113	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.2	2037 of 4818	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	52.9	2053 of 4822	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	45.5	2380 of 4809	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	2397 of 5597	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.9	2373 of 5612	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.6	2374 of 5609	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.9	2221 of 5635	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	2005 of 5492	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.2	1966 of 5413	63.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	2501 of 5107	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	2089 of 5107	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	1486 of 5087	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	59.9	1649 of 5084	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.5	1193 of 4963	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	1053 of 4830	78.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	3151 of 5460	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	2816 of 5517	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.5	2268 of 5363	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.8	2232 of 5264	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	2062 of 5173	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.2	1783 of 5084	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	3211 of 5628	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	3344 of 5643	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.4	2482 of 5638	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.6	2258 of 5663	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	2008 of 5510	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	2098 of 5431	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	2000 of 2847	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.3	1645 of 2635	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.1	1483 of 2598	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	1802 of 2651	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	1654 of 2661	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.7	1469 of 2726	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	1689 of 2834	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.2	1445 of 2737	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)57th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)51st percentile~ school

Male (2025)43rd percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2025)30th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy46%-3 vs state

Mathematics31%-6 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Donn B. Chenoweth 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 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 (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/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 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 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 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
Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary	Public	K-6	3200 Parsons Ave.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6620	722	29	24.8	59.6%	138 (19.1%)	33 (4.6%)	433 (60.0%)	65 (9.0%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	46 (6.4%)	44.8	2901^st of 5857 public elementary schools	50.5%		43.6	2955^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.7%	54	30.7	30.7	52.6	46.4	38.6	48.0	46.3	47.4	33.0	18.0	27.8	31.4	97.1		98.1				$23,075	$22,070	$1,005
Allan Peterson Elementary	Public	K-6	848 East Donna Dr.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6700	690	27	25.6	67.0%	139 (20.1%)	28 (4.1%)	386 (55.9%)	83 (12.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.1%)	48.7	2663^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	54.5%		43.5	2962^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	49.5%	299	37.4	37.4	47.4	28.6	58.6	46.2	45.5	44.3	29.7	39.4	26.9	35.3	94.9	97.5		94.9	97.5	96.2	$22,660	$21,686	$974
Luther Burbank Elementary	Public	K-6	609 East Alexander Ave.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6674	716	28	25.6	70.9%	130 (18.2%)	20 (2.8%)	430 (60.1%)	75 (10.5%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.5%)	44.1	2947^th of 5857 public elementary schools	49.7%		45.6	2825^th of 5869 public elementary schools	51.9%	122	37.7	37.7	33.3	41.5	55.3	43.4	43.8	39.4	27.4	28.1	30.0	31.1	95.1		96.3		96.3		$22,307	$21,388	$919
Ada Givens Elementary	Public	K-6	2900 Green St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6610	579	25	23.2	78.9%	86 (14.9%)	30 (5.2%)	402 (69.4%)	35 (6.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)	24.1	4486^th of 5857 public elementary schools	23.4%		34.4	3565^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.3%	921	17.8	17.8	31.7	33.8	31.5	27.5	31.0	39.0	26.3	17.8	11.0	23.3	96.5	98.2		98.2	97.4	98.2	$25,084	$24,046	$1,038
Merced City School District Community Day	Public	K-6	601 Mercy Ave.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6647	22	3	7.6	86.4%	4 (18.2%)	4 (18.2%)	9 (40.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (18.2%)								(n/a)							0.0
John Muir Elementary	Public	K-6	300 West 26th St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6667	613	24	25.6	88.6%	58 (9.5%)	42 (6.9%)	437 (71.3%)	42 (6.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.2%)	23	4592^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	21.6%		25.1	4356^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.8%	236	24.4	24.4	17.9	17.9	34.6	35.6	26.4	19.1	15.5	21.8	32.2	22.2	93.1	96.6			93.1	96.6	$22,443	$21,488	$955
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							$26,942	$26,022	$920
Rudolph Rivera Elementary	Public	K-6	945 Buena Vista Dr.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6680	917	34	27.0	75.5%	68 (7.4%)	77 (8.4%)	588 (64.1%)	126 (13.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.9%)	23.6	4538^th of 5857 public elementary schools	22.5%		25.3	4339^th of 5869 public elementary schools	26.1%	199	11.6	11.6	32.5	43.8	27.9	41.4	36.4	27.9	15.7	9.3	15.0	16.8	95.9	97.5		96.7	97.5	97.5	$19,187	$18,370	$817
John C. Fremont Elementary	Public	K-6	2150 S St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6627	580	23	25.2	84.7%	56 (9.7%)	29 (5.0%)	436 (75.2%)	26 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	30 (5.2%)	29.4	4008^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.6%		24.9	4374^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.5%	366	25.4	25.4	32.1	33.8	41.8	15.4	31.0	39.2	31.3	28.4	9.2	27.8	96.8						$22,428	$21,348	$1,080
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		$25,622	$24,630	$992

Frequently Asked Questions about Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary

Is Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary a good school?

Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary ranks 2901^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary?

Students at Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary are 60% Hispanic, 19% White, 9% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

What district is Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary in?

Merced City Elementary

What schools do graduates of Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary attend?

Students who attend Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle
High : El Capitan High

How many students attend Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 722 students attended Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary.

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.