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Meridian Elementary

Public Grades K-8

5149^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of California elementary schools

Summary

Meridian Elementary is a small public elementary school serving grades K-8 in Meridian, California, with just 63 students enrolled. Despite its small size, the school has struggled academically, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of California elementary schools in recent years and receiving low 1-2 star ratings from Meridian Elementary.

Academically, Meridian Elementary lags significantly behind state and nearby district averages across all subjects and grade levels. In 2024-2025, only 26.23% of Meridian students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 48.81%. In math, the proficiency rate was just 18.03% compared to 37.3% statewide. This academic performance has declined over time, with proficiency rates dropping from the 40-50% range in the mid-2000s to the current low 20-30% range. In comparison, nearby schools like Butte Vista Elementary, Tierra Buena Elementary, and Franklin Elementary all have proficiency rates that are 20-40 percentage points higher than Meridian across the board.

The school also faces socioeconomic challenges, with 65.08% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, significantly higher than the nearby schools, which range from 31.49% to 77.52%. Additionally, Meridian Elementary has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 5.4% to 24.9% in recent years. Despite spending significantly more per student ($20,085 in 2023-2024) compared to the nearby schools, which range from $12,105 to $18,565 per student, the school has not been able to translate this into improved student outcomes, suggesting that the school may not be effectively allocating its resources or implementing strategies to address the unique needs of its student population.

Students ?

19.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,085

Per pupil spending ?

76.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

15898 Central St.
Meridian, CA 95957-0160

(530) 696-2604

District: Meridian Elementary

Students who attend Meridian Elementary usually attend:

High:

Sutter Union High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.9%

White:

42.3%

Two or more races:

9.0%

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Compare Meridian Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2005 → 12th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (20% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2005

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school20%

District avg20%

California avg41%

5,149^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	16.5	5149 of 5857	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.5	5175 of 5614	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	46.7	2760 of 5314	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.0	2995 of 5193	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.5	1344 of 5113	73.7%	★★★★☆
2006	66.2	1498 of 4818	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	37.9	2833 of 4822	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	4374 of 5460	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.3	5361 of 5628	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2013	7.8	2275 of 2379	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	6.2	2178 of 2259	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	79.4	305 of 2236	86.4%	★★★★☆
2010	73.9	454 of 2179	79.2%	★★★★☆
2009	58.4	787 of 2063	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.5	848 of 2005	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	34.3	1279 of 1999	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.6	1016 of 1804	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	31.5	1192 of 1777	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	24.2	1336 of 1769	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy26%-23 vs state

Mathematics18%-19 vs state

Science8%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Meridian 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)	% 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	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Meridian Elementary	Public	K-8	15898 Central St.	Meridian	95957	Sutter County	Meridian Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 696-2604	78	4	19.5	76.9%	33 (42.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (44.9%)	1 (1.3%)	2 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.0%)	16.5	5149^th of 5857 public elementary schools	12.1%					(n/a)	6.3		7.7			29.4		9.1		26.2			17.7		0.0		18.0						$20,085	$1,585	$18,500
Grand Island Elementary	Public	K-6	551 Leven St.	Grimes	95950	Colusa County	Pierce Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 437-2416	49	3	15.4	67.3%	8 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (77.6%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	1 (2.0%)								(n/a)										32.0							28.0						$22,169	$3,019	$19,150
James M. Burchfield Primary	Public	K-3	400 Fremont St.	Colusa	95932	Colusa County	Colusa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 458-5853	430	20	21.6	78.4%	80 (18.6%)	2 (0.5%)	309 (71.9%)	3 (0.7%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)								(n/a)				36.0						36.0	50.5						50.5	98.4					$18,565	$4,385	$14,180
Brittan Elementary	Public	K-8	2340 Pepper St.	Sutter	95982	Sutter County	Brittan Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 822-5155	539	26	20.5	34.7%	357 (66.2%)	0 (0.0%)	136 (25.2%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.6%)	29	4050^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.9%		34.2	3591^st of 5869 public elementary schools	38.8%	459	17.5	6.0	11.5	19.7	36.8	22.2	45.5	37.7	26.9	30.1	24.6	47.4	17.5	40.9	28.3	28.4	29.5	90.8	94.7		90.8	94.7	$12,105	$2,378	$9,727
Franklin Elementary	Public	K-8	332 North Township Rd.	Yuba City	95993	Sutter County	Franklin Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 822-5151	505	20	25.2	25.7%	280 (55.4%)	2 (0.4%)	120 (23.8%)	59 (11.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (8.1%)	77.4	1266^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.4%		87.4	842^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	85.7%	424	43.9	20.0	31.6	56.3	66.0	56.1	50.9	65.1	55.0	58.3	72.9	68.0	64.9	45.5	54.8	41.7	57.2						$12,197	$375	$11,822
Arbuckle Elementary	Public	K-5	701 Hall St.	Arbuckle	95912	Colusa County	Pierce Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 476-2522	604	28	21.4	72.5%	102 (16.9%)	10 (1.7%)	482 (79.8%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	31.9	3804^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.1%		36.8	3379^th of 5869 public elementary schools	42.4%	425	25.2		25.2	43.8	31.8	30.4				35.6	39.6	30.6	14.6				28.2	98.3			98.3		$14,269	$2,701	$11,568
Nuestro Elementary	Public	K-8	3934 Broadway Rd.	Live Oak	95953	Sutter County	Nuestro Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 822-5100	170	9	18.8	55.9%	70 (41.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (28.8%)	33 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.6%)	41	3154^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.1%		29.6	3963^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	32.5%	809	40.0	15.0	25.7	27.3	36.4	53.3	38.5	20.0	40.0	35.5	36.4	40.9	33.3	23.1	6.7	30.0	29.9						$14,465	$1,234	$13,231
Tierra Buena Elementary	Public	K-8	1794 Villa Ave.	Yuba City	95993	Sutter County	Yuba City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 822-5280	607	34	17.9	67.1%	166 (27.3%)	5 (0.8%)	182 (30.0%)	195 (32.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (9.4%)	71.6	1530^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.9%		73.3	1438^th of 5869 public elementary schools	75.5%	92	37.0	41.1	38.7	77.0	46.7	60.5	58.2	68.0	63.2	62.8	82.4	49.2	42.0	40.3	38.5	31.6	47.9
Williams Primary Elementary	Public	K-3	1404 E St.	Williams	95987	Colusa County	Williams Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 473-2885	407	19	21.4	85.7%	9 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	387 (95.1%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				30.4						30.4	27.2						27.2	98.1		98.1	98.1	98.1	$17,384	$796	$16,588
Butte Vista Elementary	Public	K-8	2195 Blevin Rd.	Yuba City	95993	Sutter County	Yuba City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 822-5034	853	42	20.2	59.4%	224 (26.3%)	11 (1.3%)	255 (29.9%)	265 (31.1%)	10 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	85 (10.0%)	63.1	1917^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.3%		68.1	1678^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.4%	239	42.9	36.6	39.6	45.4	42.9	57.1	62.1	60.4	65.0	55.7	47.1	45.6	42.9	47.2	45.8	46.5	45.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Meridian Elementary

What schools do graduates of Meridian Elementary attend?

Students who attend Meridian Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Sutter Union High

Is Meridian Elementary a good school?

Meridian Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.1% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Meridian Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 78 students attended Meridian Elementary.

What district is Meridian Elementary in?

Meridian Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Meridian Elementary?

Students at Meridian Elementary are 45% Hispanic, 42% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 1% Asian.

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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.