El Nido Elementary, El Nido CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on El Nido Elementary

El Nido Elementary is a small K-8 public school serving a rural agricultural community in Merced County's San Joaquin Valley, a few miles south of Merced. The school enrolls a small population, with kindergarten being the largest grade and enrollment declining sharply in the early grades, stabilizing in the intermediate and middle grades. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic/Latino, with white students making up a much smaller share and other racial and ethnic groups barely represented.

Academic performance on California's 2024-25 state assessments reflects challenges across math, English language arts, and science. In math, proficiency rates vary considerably by grade, ranging from lows in grade 4 to modest performance in grade 3. English language arts shows a clearer upward trend as students advance, with younger grades performing weaker and proficiency strengthening notably in grades 6, 7, and 8. Science proficiency, assessed in grades 5 and 8, is substantially lower than either math or ELA. Across all subjects tested, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of districts in Merced County, though this reflects the county context rather than a broad strength—the school is performing near the county median, with a handful of other county districts notably higher.

The pattern in the data suggests older students and English language arts instruction are relative strengths, while math and science present steeper learning curves, particularly in the elementary and middle grades. Grade 4 math proficiency stands out as notably depressed and warrants attention. Whether this reflects a specific cohort, a curricular gap, or transition issues around that grade is not evident from available data; a parent may want to look into this further with the school.

The school sits at the rural heart of El Nido, a census-designated place characterized by sparse development, agricultural employment, and a close-knit demographic character. The community has minimal commercial infrastructure, no conventional downtown, and no local high school; eighth graders transition to high school in Merced or surrounding districts. Population has remained essentially flat, and development pressure in the area centers on dairy and crop agriculture rather than residential growth. The school is the anchor K-8 institution in the community and serves as a gathering point for a small population with limited alternative educational options.

Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available. The school does not serve high grades beyond 8, so no graduation rate applies. State testing data measure proficiency only in tested grades; kindergarten through grade 2 are not assessed statewide.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 30%

even with state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolEl Nido Elementary, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.