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Pioneer Elementary

Q: Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?

Pioneer Elementary ranks 3437 th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

3437^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of California elementary schools

Summary

Pioneer Elementary is a K–5 school in Merced, California, serving 1,055 students in the local group of schools summarized here. Its 2025–26 proficiency rates were higher than the nearby-school averages and its district’s rates in all three subjects, but the most important finding is that Pioneer remained below California in every subject, with the widest gap in science.

Math is Pioneer’s strongest subject compared with nearby schools and the state: 34% of students were proficient, 10 percentage points above the nearby-school average, 4 points above Weaver Union, and 5 points below California. In ELA, 40% were proficient—5 points above the nearby average and 4 points above the district, but 10 points below the state. Science is the clearest concern relative to California: 23% were proficient, 4 points above the nearby average and 6 points above the district, yet 13 points below the state. Grade-level results add a specific bright spot and concern: third-grade math was 44%, the highest among the nearby schools, while fifth-grade math was 20% and 17 points below the state.

Scores have risen overall since 2022–23, with gains of 3 points in ELA, 5 in math, and 5 in science, though ELA and math fell in the latest year and science’s gap with the state widened. Chronic absenteeism dropped from 44% in 2021–22 to 22% in 2025–26, but remained 4 points above the state and 2 points above the district. SchoolDigger gave Pioneer a 41st-percentile ranking and two stars in 2025–26, down from the 45th percentile the year before. Its student-teacher ratio was 20.3 in 2024–25, the lowest among the nearby schools, and 91% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. SchoolDigger’s statewide effectiveness ranking for English Language Learner Students rose from the 42nd percentile in 2021–22 to the 79th in 2023–24, compared with Pioneer’s overall 44th percentile that year; for Asian Students, the ranking was 11th in 2025–26 versus 41st overall.

1,055

Students ?

20.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,231

Per pupil spending ?

91.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

2950 Gerard Ave.
Merced, CA 95341-5433

(209) 725-7111

District: Weaver Union

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Weaver Middle
High:	Golden Valley High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.3%

Asian:

9.3%

White:

7.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pioneer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 40th percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (35% vs 42% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 13 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg31%

California avg42%

3,437^th of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Weaver Union

667^th of 968Weaver Union 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
2026	36.9	3437 of 5804	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	3203 of 5857	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	3283 of 5869	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	3570 of 5859	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.7	4383 of 5883	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.6	3095 of 5789	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	3084 of 5662	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.8	3382 of 5692	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.9	3488 of 5614	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.3	3377 of 5611	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.6	2134 of 5530	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.6	2359 of 5390	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	42.1	3080 of 5377	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	42.5	3018 of 5314	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.9	2874 of 5193	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.5	2396 of 5113	53.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	20.7	584 of 661	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	537 of 747	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	12.3	1071 of 1207	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	1058 of 1203	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	4.9	1129 of 1205	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.3	1138 of 1190	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.4	1073 of 1154	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.6	1017 of 1149	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.6	966 of 1071	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	46.1	906 of 2227	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.3	1255 of 2585	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.6	1467 of 2128	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	62.0	653 of 3162	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	51.5	1110 of 3245	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.4	1921 of 3311	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.5	808 of 3275	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	52.3	1146 of 3246	64.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	3205 of 5569	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.7	3181 of 5597	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	2802 of 5612	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.6	3319 of 5609	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.3	4286 of 5635	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.0	3048 of 5492	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.6	2981 of 5413	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	2309 of 5085	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.0	1923 of 5107	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	2233 of 5107	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.0	2291 of 5087	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.4	3423 of 5084	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.8	2053 of 4963	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.4	1937 of 4830	59.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	2304 of 5412	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.6	2094 of 5460	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.5	2157 of 5517	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	2977 of 5363	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.9	3935 of 5264	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.9	2411 of 5173	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	2305 of 5084	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	35.6	3410 of 5590	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.9	2997 of 5628	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.5	3610 of 5643	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.6	3568 of 5638	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	4081 of 5663	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.7	2932 of 5510	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	3010 of 5431	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	7.5	674 of 718	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.7	629 of 669	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.9	601 of 610	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	1494 of 2920	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	1472 of 2847	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	1410 of 2635	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.9	1520 of 2420	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	30.9	1856 of 2532	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.0	2038 of 2598	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	2006 of 2651	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	2135 of 2661	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	2416 of 2726	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.7	2181 of 2834	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	2276 of 2737	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)79th percentile+35 vs school

Disabled (2022)59th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)55th percentile+14 vs school

Special Education (2026)49th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)39th percentile~ school

White (2026)27th percentile-14 vs school

African American (2023)12th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2026)11th percentile-30 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)6th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy40%-10 vs state

Mathematics34%-5 vs state

Science23%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pioneer 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)					% 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
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%)	36.9	3437^th of 5804 public elementary schools	40.8%		40.2	3203^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	45.3%	234	22.9	22.9	37.9	39.0	42.4		39.7	44.3	36.0	20.0		33.8	95.6	97.8		97.8	97.8	97.8	$24,231	$22,120	$2,111
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%)	24.9	4393^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	24.3%		25.2	4373^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	25.3%	20	17.5	17.5	41.1	32.9	31.3	32.1	34.2	37.0	23.2	14.1	16.7	22.5							$26,942	$26,022	$920
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%)	28.3	4125^th of 5804 public elementary schools	28.9%		24.1	4486^th of 5857 public elementary schools	23.4%	361	25.9	25.9	27.9	38.4	39.5	33.8	35.0	29.1	41.2	11.1	11.3	23.7	96.5	98.2		98.2	97.4	98.2	$25,084	$24,046	$1,038
Don Stowell Elementary	Public	K-6	251 East 11th St.	Merced	95340	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%)	14.2	5278^th of 5804 public elementary schools	9.1%		14.5	5312^th of 5857 public elementary schools	9.3%	34	8.9	8.9	24.6	20.8	28.6	28.0	25.7	24.6	7.3	5.5	17.3	14.6	92.8		94.2	97.1	94.2		$25,622	$24,630	$992
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%)	32.9	3736^th of 5804 public elementary schools	35.6%		40.8	3162^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	46.0%	574	15.2	15.2	38.9	46.1	26.6		37.3	42.6	35.4	17.7		32.0	98.2						$24,327	$22,196	$2,131
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%)	40.1	3221^st of 5804 public elementary schools	44.5%		44.1	2947^th of 5857 public elementary schools	49.7%	274	27.3	27.3	37.2	39.4	50.5	51.0	44.6	36.2	29.3	19.2	33.0	29.3	95.1		96.3		96.3		$22,307	$21,388	$919
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%)	48.2	2699^th of 5804 public elementary schools	53.5%		44.8	2901^st of 5857 public elementary schools	50.5%	202	29.0	29.0	48.3	45.7	51.6	44.0	47.3	43.3	40.9	34.4	27.8	36.6	97.1		98.1				$23,075	$22,070	$1,005
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%)	20.3	4772^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	17.8%		23	4592^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	21.6%	180	18.9	18.9	18.4	18.8	34.7	41.2	28.1	11.5	11.4	18.7	29.4	17.8	93.1	96.6			93.1	96.6	$22,443	$21,488	$955
Alicia Reyes Elementary	Public	K-6	123 South N St.	Merced	95340	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%)	12.3	5432^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	6.4%		9.7	5650^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.5%	218	6.7	6.7	25.6	20.0	24.7	23.1	23.4	28.2	18.8	3.4	6.4	13.9							$26,382	$25,322	$1,060
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%)	41.4	3141^st of 5804 public elementary schools	45.9%		48.7	2663^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	54.5%	478	26.2	26.2	41.5	40.0	44.1	47.3	43.1	39.0	36.0	31.0	27.5	33.3	94.9	97.5		94.9	97.5	96.2	$22,660	$21,686	$974

Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Elementary

What schools do graduates of Pioneer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pioneer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Weaver Middle
High : Golden Valley High

What district is Pioneer Elementary in?

Weaver Union

How many students attend Pioneer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,055 students attended Pioneer Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer Elementary?

Students at Pioneer Elementary are 73% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 7% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American.

Is Pioneer Elementary a good school?

Pioneer Elementary ranks 3437^th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Pioneer Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.