Mcswain Union Elementary, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mcswain Union Elementary

McSwain Union Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade across a small district in Merced County. The district operates a single school, McSwain Elementary, and serves a community that is roughly evenly split between Hispanic students and white students, with a smaller Asian student population. The area's housing market sits below state and national medians, with home values and rents both modest relative to California averages.

In English language arts, the district's students show uneven results across grade levels. Third graders demonstrate stronger proficiency, while performance dips noticeably in grades four and five before recovering somewhat in the middle and upper grades. By eighth grade, roughly half of students meet proficiency standards. Math proficiency is lower overall and declines more steeply as students progress. Third grade shows reasonable performance, but by fourth grade fewer than half of students meet the standard, and the decline continues through seventh grade before a slight uptick in eighth. Science proficiency, tested in fifth and eighth grades, falls in the low range.

This grade-by-grade pattern suggests that students entering the district's upper elementary years face growing challenges in mathematics specifically, a dynamic that continues into the middle grades. A parent may want to ask the district directly about the supports in place for students struggling with math at grades four and five, where the performance drop is most pronounced, and what intervention strategies are used to help students catch up before they reach middle school.

The district shows strength in attendance. Chronic absenteeism runs well below the countywide median for Merced County districts, placing McSwain among the county's top performers on this measure. Overall proficiency in tested subjects ranks in the top quartile among county districts, despite the individual grade-level challenges in math. The district operates with modest per-pupil spending, below the county median.

McSwain has recently been selected to participate in California's Community Engagement Initiative as part of Cohort VI, a multi-year effort centered on shared leadership and active listening to student, family, and staff voices. This signals an intentional shift in how the district approaches governance, parent input, and school improvement. The initiative unfolds over years and is designed to embed community engagement structurally into decision-making.

The district is small, which shapes the learning environment and community dynamics directly. Kindergarten through grade eight all sit within a single school building. The area offers stable, affordable housing relative to much of California, though home values remain low compared to state norms. For families prioritizing a small-district setting with accessible community involvement and manageable housing costs, McSwain presents a clear profile. The academic data suggests the need for closer attention to upper elementary math instruction, but the strong attendance rates and the district's engagement in the state's community initiative indicate sustained attention to school climate and family partnership.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

939

Grades

KG–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 48%

Black 0%

White 40%

Asian 7%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

42%

—

Gr 3

53%

76%

Gr 4

27%

48%

Gr 5

45%

Gr 6

46%

68%

Gr 7

46%

53%

Gr 8

41%

58%

Math

Gr ALL

28%

—

Gr 3

50%

66%

Gr 4

27%

48%

Gr 5

29%

32%

Gr 6

33%

50%

Gr 7

16%

24%

Gr 8

13%

33%

Science

Gr 5

29%

32%

Gr 8

19%

35%

Gr HS

24%

—

Schools in this District

1 schools are officially reported under this district.

McSwain Elementary

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

61%

Grade 3

39%

Grade 4

31%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

22%

Grade 7

27%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

69%

Grade 3

39%

Grade 4

45%

Grade 5

60%

Grade 6

50%

Grade 7

53%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

31%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

57%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$386,822

Year-over-year change-0.6%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$364K to $423K

vs. state typical0.50x

vs. national typical1.05x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95341	Merced	$364K	-1.3%	60.7%
95301	Atwater	$423K	+0.5%	38.9%
95348	Merced	$417K	-1.8%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,800/mo

Year-over-year change+7.4%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,724 to $1,886/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
95341	Merced	$1,848	+7.5%	60.7%
95301	Atwater	$1,724	—	38.9%
95348	Merced	$1,886	+1.0%	0.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,952/mo

Home price / national median income4.6x

Annual rent / national median income25.8%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$152/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.