Tenaya Middle, Merced CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Tenaya Middle

Tenaya Middle is a small public middle school in Merced, California, serving seventh and eighth grade students. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of its surrounding neighborhood. The school is part of Merced City Elementary School District, which covers the city proper.

The academic profile shows consistent challenges across tested subjects. In English language arts, student proficiency sits in the lower range, with seventh graders at one level and eighth graders slightly below that. Mathematics proficiency is notably low across both grades, roughly half the ELA rate. Science proficiency in eighth grade is the lowest of the tested subjects. When measured against other districts in Merced County, Tenaya's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of the county's districts. The school has only one year of current data available, so trend information is not available to show whether performance is moving, which a parent may want to look into further with the school.

Tenaya sits in Merced proper, a small city in California's northern Central Valley with a restored downtown around Main Street and a broad economy anchored by UC Merced, healthcare, government, agriculture and food processing. The city is on a growth trajectory driven by planned high-speed rail infrastructure and UC expansion, with development concentrated in North Merced and near the campus. Housing prices in the Merced area are moderate relative to California statewide, and rents are similarly accessible. The area benefits from public transit through Merced County Transit, Amtrak service and connections to regional trails and parks, though the wider city relies heavily on cars and Highway 99.

The district is undergoing major structural change. A facilities bond approved by voters in late 2024 will modernize and upgrade safety systems across all district schools over roughly the next decade, and will result in added property tax for residents. More immediately, the district is redrawing school boundaries to address overcrowding, beginning with elementary schools in the upcoming school year and moving to middle schools the following year, when sixth graders will shift from elementary campuses back to middle schools. These changes will affect a substantial share of the district's students, so families in the attendance zone should confirm current and future assignment status with the district.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 19% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 19% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 37% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 38% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 16% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 35% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolMerced City 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income32%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income13%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income9%5 pp gap