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School Profile · Meridian

Meridian Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Meridian posts low test scores — and attendance holds near the state average — families haven't checked out. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

15898 Central Street, 95957 (opens in new tab)·Meridian Elementary·Meridian·Grades TK-8·78 students·77% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 696-2604·Website
Scope Score
25
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,031 statewide

Meridian Elementary scores 25 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 12th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

Most rating sites would stop at “24% proficient” and call it done. Meridian deserves a closer read. The school sits in Meridian, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
5.9%
State 21.3%
15.4pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
23.5%
State 42.7%
19.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.7%
State 17.9%
5.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.0%
State 1.6%
0.4pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0%
State 18.0%
18.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Meridian Elementary
25
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Your other options

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic44.9%
White42.3%
Asian1.3%
Other11.5%
GenderFemale 48.7%Male 51.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.9% (13pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
78
542 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
4 TK students
6% of a 72-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
26:1
5 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,297
District avg: $14,016 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Equity Gaps
Suspension · RW+3.1pp
5.1% vs 2.0% overall · n=39

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 52%Support 40%Other 9%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$78K
$7K below CA median
Median Home Value
$336K
$323K below CA median
Bachelor's+
21%
14pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
4.5 years avg experience
4 teachers · 25% first-year · 25% second-year
Teacher Credentials
75% fully credentialed
25.0% on intern/emergency permit

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
5.9%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
23.5%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 35th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
12.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.0%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 47th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 36th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36
Grade 410
Grade 5170%29%12%59%29%−18
Grade 67
Grade 7110%9%18%73%9%−39
Grade 810
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36
Grade 410
Grade 51712%6%12%71%18%−18
Grade 67
Grade 7110%0%18%82%0%−34
Grade 810
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11260%8%62%31%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Meridian Elementary ←255.9%23.5%2.0%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
21%25%'23'25
2023 · 2025 · rank #5316 → #5031
What we can't show
  • — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
  • — Subgroup results are suppressed for small student counts (fewer than 15 tested), following CDE privacy rules.
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Meridian Elementary a good elementary school?
Meridian Elementary has a Scope Score of 25 out of 100, placing it in the 12th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,031 statewide. 5.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.4 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Meridian Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 23.5% of students at Meridian Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.9% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 34 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Meridian Elementary rank in California?
Meridian Elementary ranks #5,031 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 12th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Meridian Elementary?
12.7% of students at Meridian Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.0%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Meridian Elementary compare to other schools in Meridian?
Meridian Elementary scores 25/100 (12th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 78 students. Use the schools in Meridian page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.