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La Merced Academy

Q: Is La Merced Academy a good school?

La Merced Academy ranks 3324 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

3324^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of California elementary schools

Summary

La Merced Academy is a K-8 elementary school serving 665 students in the Montebello Unified district, and it stands out for its remarkable and steady improvement in academic performance over the last several years.

The school has shown the most dramatic upward trajectory among nearby schools, climbing from the 21st to the 43rd percentile statewide since 2019, while other local schools like Wilcox Elementary and Fremont Elementary have declined. This improvement is especially clear in the middle school grades, where 8th graders significantly outperform the district average in English, math, and science. The school has also successfully reduced chronic student absenteeism to 12.6%, which is well below both district and state averages and a major turnaround from just a few years ago.

La Merced Academy operates very effectively, achieving these strong results with lower per-student spending than many comparable schools. It demonstrates particular strength in supporting English Language Learners, ranking in the 84th percentile statewide for that group. While the school faces a common district-wide challenge in serving Special Education students, its overall story is one of consistent growth and effective management, making it a notable example of progress within the Montebello Unified community.

665

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,250

Per pupil spending ?

73.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

724 North Poplar Ave.
Montebello, CA 90640-2760

(323) 721-5043

District: Montebello Unified

Students who attend La Merced Academy usually attend:

Middle:	La Merced Intermediate
High:	Montebello High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.0%

Asian:

1.7%

White:

0.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare La Merced Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg30%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,324^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 31 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

531^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 6 pts since 2024

From top 26% (2024) to top 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Montebello Unified

1028^th of 1,543Montebello Unified 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	38.3	3324 of 5857	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.3	3753 of 5869	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	4166 of 5859	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	4178 of 5883	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.7	1061 of 1417	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	4581 of 5789	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.8	4343 of 5662	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.0	4516 of 5692	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.8	4975 of 5614	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.4	4946 of 5611	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	14.6	5073 of 5530	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	17.7	4798 of 5390	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	17.9	4805 of 5377	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.5	4190 of 5314	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	21.5	4322 of 5193	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.4	4089 of 5113	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.0	3784 of 5113	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	20.6	3961 of 4818	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.1	3268 of 4822	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	17.8	4138 of 4809	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	33.5	1328 of 2227	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.4	227 of 293	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.8	1691 of 2585	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	921 of 2128	56.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	66.2	508 of 3162	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	33.4	2281 of 3245	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.6	1762 of 3311	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.4	263 of 602	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.6	1220 of 3275	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.3	1286 of 3246	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.2	2824 of 5597	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.6	3919 of 5612	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.1	4218 of 5609	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.0	4715 of 5635	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.9	936 of 1267	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.1	4372 of 5492	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	4444 of 5413	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	2240 of 5107	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	2739 of 5107	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	3364 of 5087	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	3190 of 5084	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.3	3812 of 4963	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	3317 of 4830	31.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.5	2837 of 5460	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	3735 of 5517	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.8	4243 of 5363	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	4090 of 5264	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.6	704 of 1110	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.7	3962 of 5173	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	3424 of 5084	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.7	3575 of 5628	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.6	3310 of 5643	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	3750 of 5638	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.3	3343 of 5663	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.4	932 of 1272	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.2	4367 of 5510	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.4	3906 of 5431	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	2196 of 2847	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	2223 of 2635	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	2014 of 2420	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.4	531 of 2761	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.4	713 of 2783	74.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.2	621 of 2533	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	58.9	843 of 2551	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.6	173 of 2395	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	78.0	365 of 2388	84.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.8	283 of 2542	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.7	649 of 2579	74.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.7	454 of 2534	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	523 of 2552	79.5%	★★★★☆

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

English Language Learner (2024)84th percentile+48 vs school

Hispanic (2025)56th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)48th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2022)40th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)36th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)23rd percentile-20 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)93rd percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)75th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy43%-6 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science33%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near La Merced Academy

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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)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)				CSA Spanish Listening (2025)				CSA Spanish Writing (2025)				CSA Spanish Reading (2025)				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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	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
La Merced Academy	Public	K-8	724 North Poplar Ave.	Montebello	90640	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 721-5043	665	30	22.0	73.7%	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	645 (97.0%)	11 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	38.3	3324^th of 5857 public elementary schools	43.2%		32.3	3753^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	36.1%	429																	23.4	55.0	32.8	44.9	28.4	27.7	60.3	63.6	67.5	42.9	47.8	26.9	22.3	46.6	30.0	56.1	35.8	69.3	84.7	81.0	79.6	78.8	80.3	$14,250	$12,182	$2,068
Fremont Elementary	Public	K-5	200 West Madison Ave.	Montebello	90640	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 721-2435	366	16	23.5	88.8%	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	355 (97.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.2	4658^th of 5857 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.2	4846^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.4%	188																	18.4		18.4	22.1	18.3	23.4				21.2	37.7	21.7	29.8				30.4	82.0	90.2	90.2	90.2	86.9	90.2	$16,407	$14,240	$2,167
Montebello Gardens Elementary	Public	K-5	4700 Pine St.	Pico Rivera	90660	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 463-5191	230	11	21.2	87.8%	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	219 (95.2%)	6 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.4	1998^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.9%		62	1982^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	66.2%	16																	23.5		23.5	55.0	48.4	47.1				50.5	52.5	54.8	52.9				53.3	59.6	72.3	68.1	72.3	76.6	70.2	$19,435	$17,306	$2,129
Washington Elementary	Public	K-5	1400 West Madison Ave.	Montebello	90640	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 721-3621	685	34	20.3	78.1%	13 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	662 (96.6%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	41.8	3082^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	47.4%		38.4	3277^th of 5869 public elementary schools	44.2%	195																	23.3		23.3	43.6	28.2	39.2				37.5	44.4	37.5	40.0				40.8	78.1	85.6	87.5	85.0	80.6	84.4	$16,785	$14,656	$2,129
North Ranchito Elementary	Public	K-5	8837 East Olympic Blvd.	Pico Rivera	90660	Los Angeles County	El Rancho Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 801-7630	319	14	22.7	85.3%	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	311 (97.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	41.8	3078^th of 5857 public elementary schools	47.4%		34.8	3543^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	39.6%	465																	17.7		17.7	39.2	56.6	33.3				43.2	51.0	41.5	15.7				36.1	95.9				95.9	97.3	$17,831	$16,964	$867
Durfee Elementary	Public	K-5	4220 South Durfee Ave.	Pico Rivera	90660	Los Angeles County	El Rancho Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 801-7610	322	13	24.7	78.3%	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	312 (96.9%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29	4052^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	30.8%		31.2	3841^st of 5869 public elementary schools	34.6%	211																	20.8		20.8	32.6	36.7	25.0				31.6	32.6	38.3	17.3				29.7	96.4			96.4			$18,548	$17,512	$1,036
Wilcox Elementary	Public	K-5	816 Donna Way	Montebello	90640	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 728-1833	479	24	20.2	77.0%	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	437 (91.2%)	29 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26.4	4287^th of 5857 public elementary schools	26.8%		34	3603^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	38.6%	684																	29.4		29.4	13.2	28.7	33.9				24.7	26.9	25.3	39.3				29.5	66.0	75.5	72.6	73.6	77.4	75.5	$14,147	$12,006	$2,141
Potrero Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	8026 East Hill Dr.	Rosemead	91770	Los Angeles County	Montebello Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(626) 307-7010	380	17	22.5	57.9%	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	228 (60.0%)	129 (33.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)	86	876^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.0%		83.5	1017^th of 5869 public elementary schools	82.7%	141																	43.8		43.8	56.3	72.7	78.1				68.9	68.8	70.4	70.3				69.8	85.0	90.3	89.3	91.4	88.2	91.4	$18,368	$16,336	$2,032
South Ranchito Dual Language Academy	Public	K-5	5241 South Passons Blvd.	Pico Rivera	90660	Los Angeles County	El Rancho Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 801-7660	351	16	21.9	84.6%	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	343 (97.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	4756^th of 5857 public elementary schools	18.8%		22.1	4667^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.5%	89	10.5	11.4	0.0	6.7	36.8	22.7	30.2	29.6	10.5	29.6	3.8	14.1	2.6	6.8	1.9	3.7	18.9		18.9	10.5	32.6	33.3				26.5	13.2	34.1	13.2				20.0	95.4	96.9		95.4	96.9	96.9	$17,424	$16,616	$808
Hillcrest Elementary	Public	K-6	795 Pepper St.	Monterey Park	91755	Los Angeles County	Garvey Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(626) 307-3371	439	21	20.9	70.4%	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	118 (26.9%)	289 (65.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)	64.6	1858^th of 5857 public elementary schools	68.3%		75.1	1367^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.7%	491																	24.3		24.3	55.8	54.4	41.5	78.0			57.0	66.0	53.5	29.0	61.3			51.4							$22,609	$20,650	$1,959

Frequently Asked Questions about La Merced Academy

How many students attend La Merced Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 665 students attended La Merced Academy.

What schools do graduates of La Merced Academy attend?

Students who attend La Merced Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : La Merced Intermediate
High : Montebello High

What is the racial makeup of La Merced Academy?

Students at La Merced Academy are 97% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What district is La Merced Academy in?

Montebello Unified

Is La Merced Academy a good school?

La Merced Academy ranks 3324^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate La Merced Academy!

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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.