Original Research by School Decision on Floyd A. Schelby
Floyd A. Schelby is a special education school serving kindergarten through high school in Livingston, a small, agriculture-centered city in northern Merced County. The school operates under the Merced County Office of Education.
The enrollment is small, with a student population spread unevenly across grades. The majority of students are in the upper grades, particularly grade twelve, while kindergarten and the early elementary grades carry higher numbers. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of white, Asian, American Indian, and Black students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic pressures common to the region.
State testing data for this school are not available. This absence reflects the nature of special education schools: students served may not participate in the state's standard assessment system, or enrollment in tested grades may be too small to report under privacy protections. A parent or resident seeking information about academic proficiency or growth at this school would need to contact the school or district directly to understand what alternative or school-based assessments are used to track student progress.
No graduation rate data are present in the public record reviewed. Again, this likely stems from the school's special education designation and the wide age and ability range it serves across the kindergarten-to-twelve band.
Livingston itself is a quiet, close-knit community with strong family values and notable ethnic diversity. The city's economy rests on agriculture and food processing, anchored by Foster Farms, one of the largest employers in the region. Sweet potatoes and poultry are central to local identity. Housing is relatively affordable compared to the state benchmark, though home values and rents have edged down slightly over the past year. The city has a compact, walkable downtown along Main Street with family-owned shops and local eateries, though most daily life depends on car travel. Parks and the Merced County branch library anchor civic life. Public transit is limited, though a future rail connection is planned for around 2030.
The city is in a growth phase, with new residential subdivisions and commercial development underway, though expansion faces real constraints from water infrastructure limits and ongoing disputes over development on farmland. For families with students needing specialized services, Floyd A. Schelby offers enrollment in their home county without requiring transfer to another district. A parent considering this school would benefit from speaking directly with the school about curriculum, services, transition planning, and outcomes for students, since the standard state assessment and graduation metrics do not apply.
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