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McPherson Magnet

Public Grades K-8
780th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 5,857 California Elementary Schools
Better than 87% of California elementary schools
Summary

McPherson Magnet is a highly-regarded K-8 school serving about 860 students in the Orange Unified School District, consistently ranking among the top schools in California.

The school stands out for its strong academic performance, with proficiency rates in English and math significantly higher than both the district and state averages. What is particularly impressive is how well the school serves all its students; key groups, such as those in special education or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, perform at levels ranking in the state's top percentiles. Furthermore, student engagement is high, with a chronic absenteeism rate of only 5.1%, which is much lower than nearby schools.

McPherson achieves these excellent results even with a higher student-teacher ratio and lower per-student spending than many comparable schools in the area. The contrast with some of its closest neighbors, like Cambridge Elementary and Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science, is notable, though other high-performing options like Panorama Elementary exist in the broader region. This demonstrates McPherson Magnet's consistent and effective model for academic excellence.

863
Students ?
25.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,597
Per pupil spending ?
42.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 333 South Prospect St.
       Orange, CA  92869-4825

(714) 997-6384

District: Orange Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
53.3%
White:
25.3%
Asian:
11.9%
more
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At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 89th percentile in 2013 → 87th in 2025
Strengths
✓Test scores above the California average (63% vs 41% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 13% of California elementary schools
Worth a look
!Large classes — about 26 students per teacher
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school63%
District avg50%
California avg41%
Elementary school
780th of 5,857
California public elementary schools ?
Top 13%▲ up 9 pts since 2015
From top 22% (2015) to top 13% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
451st of 2,761
California public middle schools ?
Top 16%▼ down 1 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
7th of 27Elementary Schools in the Orange Unified
483rd of 1,543Orange 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202588.0780 of 585786.7%★★★★☆
202487.7828 of 586985.9%★★★★☆
202384.9961 of 585983.6%★★★★☆
202283.71010 of 588382.8%★★★★☆
201986.6814 of 578985.9%★★★★☆
201883.6955 of 566283.1%★★★★☆
201777.41229 of 569278.4%★★★★☆
201678.51178 of 561479.0%★★★★☆
201576.91239 of 561177.9%★★★★☆
201387.5614 of 553088.9%★★★★☆
201286.1667 of 539087.6%★★★★☆
201185.7695 of 537787.1%★★★★☆
201076.41163 of 531478.1%★★★★☆
200983.2828 of 519384.1%★★★★☆
200886.6671 of 511386.9%★★★★☆
200784.2785 of 511384.6%★★★★☆
200686.2677 of 481885.9%★★★★☆
200584.5757 of 482284.3%★★★★☆
200485.4698 of 480985.5%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202574.7297 of 120375.3%★★★★☆
202483.977 of 120593.6%★★★★★
201972.6310 of 114973.0%★★★★☆
201860.2550 of 107148.6%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202278.1323 of 222785.5%★★★★☆
201982.5299 of 258588.4%★★★★☆
201874.2355 of 212883.3%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202583.1936 of 559783.3%★★★★☆
202484.5893 of 561284.1%★★★★☆
202382.01018 of 560981.9%★★★★☆
202280.81068 of 563581.0%★★★★☆
201986.3758 of 549286.2%★★★★☆
201883.4888 of 541383.6%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202587.6430 of 510791.6%★★★★★
202488.0429 of 510791.6%★★★★★
202389.5371 of 508792.7%★★★★★
202286.8480 of 508490.6%★★★★★
201984.7522 of 496389.5%★★★★☆
201881.8608 of 483087.4%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202582.3681 of 546087.5%★★★★☆
202484.3657 of 551788.1%★★★★☆
202383.0662 of 536387.7%★★★★☆
202280.6736 of 526486.0%★★★★☆
201986.8411 of 517392.1%★★★★★
201874.6941 of 508481.5%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202590.0581 of 562889.7%★★★★☆
202488.3697 of 564387.6%★★★★☆
202384.8881 of 563884.4%★★★★☆
202282.9965 of 566383.0%★★★★☆
201983.0915 of 551083.4%★★★★☆
201880.41038 of 543180.9%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202494.4122 of 263595.4%★★★★★
202386.6209 of 242091.4%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202574.1620 of 259876.1%★★★★☆
202477.5515 of 265180.6%★★★★☆
202375.1614 of 266176.9%★★★★☆
202280.0450 of 272683.5%★★★★☆
201979.6479 of 283483.1%★★★★☆
201873.1717 of 273773.8%★★★★☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202581.6451 of 276183.7%★★★★☆
202484.2392 of 278385.9%★★★★☆
202379.6495 of 278182.2%★★★★☆
202271.4657 of 274076.0%★★★★☆
201981.1453 of 271583.3%★★★★☆
201884.6349 of 248085.9%★★★★☆
201784.0374 of 250885.1%★★★★☆
201685.0330 of 249786.8%★★★★☆
201582.0388 of 247784.3%★★★★☆
201370.7574 of 237975.9%★★★★☆
201279.3324 of 225985.7%★★★★☆
201180.5288 of 223687.1%★★★★☆
201078.6340 of 217984.4%★★★★☆
200983.4230 of 206388.9%★★★★☆
200886.2169 of 200591.6%★★★★★
200776.8358 of 199982.1%★★★★☆
200687.6159 of 180491.2%★★★★★
200588.2144 of 177791.9%★★★★★
200490.9104 of 176994.1%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202480.1116 of 74384.4%★★★★☆
202368.9249 of 71565.2%★★★☆☆
202270.2237 of 73367.7%★★★☆☆
201957.4367 of 74550.7%★★★☆☆
201863.6297 of 70057.6%★★★☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202280.6172 of 153188.8%★★★★☆
201990.187 of 149194.2%★★★★★
201878.9177 of 136987.1%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202577.1500 of 253380.3%★★★★☆
202483.0389 of 255184.8%★★★★☆
202379.7436 of 253182.8%★★★★☆
202277.8473 of 250981.1%★★★★☆
201976.2505 of 238078.8%★★★★☆
201884.7313 of 226286.2%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202584.5242 of 239589.9%★★★★☆
202485.5207 of 238891.3%★★★★★
202381.0296 of 237487.5%★★★★☆
202267.5558 of 235976.3%★★★★☆
201975.0399 of 221382.0%★★★★☆
201877.8314 of 207284.8%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202582.8284 of 254288.8%★★★★☆
202482.4304 of 257988.2%★★★★☆
202378.9343 of 253186.4%★★★★☆
202261.5705 of 245871.3%★★★★☆
201971.8460 of 236980.6%★★★★☆
201869.9481 of 223078.4%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202583.1383 of 253484.9%★★★★☆
202482.9378 of 255285.2%★★★★☆
202376.2510 of 253879.9%★★★★☆
202262.2772 of 252769.4%★★★☆☆
201982.5375 of 240784.4%★★★★☆
201881.1393 of 227382.7%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202576.8208 of 156686.7%★★★★☆
202467.6306 of 155280.3%★★★★☆
202378.0188 of 153187.7%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202570.0427 of 152071.9%★★★★☆
202481.8200 of 153787.0%★★★★☆
202366.5479 of 154369.0%★★★☆☆
202256.2650 of 155558.2%★★★☆☆
201976.2336 of 160279.0%★★★★☆
201882.0213 of 149685.8%★★★★☆
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
Special Education (2024)95th percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2025)92nd percentile+5 vs school
Male (2025)90th percentile+3 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile~ school
Disabled (2022)85th percentile+3 vs school
Female (2025)83rd percentile-3 vs school
White (2025)76th percentile-11 vs school
Asian (2025)75th percentile-11 vs school
Middle school
Hispanic (2025)90th percentile+6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile+5 vs school
Disabled (2022)89th percentile+13 vs school
Special Education (2025)87th percentile+3 vs school
Male (2025)85th percentile~ school
Asian (2024)84th percentile~ school
Female (2025)80th percentile-3 vs school
White (2025)72nd percentile-12 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy74%+25 vs state
Mathematics56%+19 vs state
Science52%+19 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about McPherson Magnet

McPherson Magnet ranks 780th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at McPherson Magnet are 53% Hispanic, 25% White, 12% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 863 students attended McPherson Magnet.


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Schools in Orange, CA

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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.




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