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Below Average

#7883 of 9,539 schools in CA

Merritt Trace Elementary

Elementary School · San Jose Unified · San Jose, CA

A San Jose Unified elementary school where students score 12 points below what's typical for similar communities.

651 Dana Ave., San Jose, CA 95126

  • Math 30% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 35% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.8Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-2.12 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics5.1Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency29.6% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency34.7% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-16.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-8.1 pts
Overall Proficiency32% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)45% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-12.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile32th
Resources & Environment6.1Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio21.4:1
District spending per student$17,909
Chronic Absenteeism36.1%

Students at Merritt Trace Elementary score 32% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 45%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency30%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency35%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 24 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 32% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
61%
ELA
52%
2010
Math
67%
ELA
52%
2011
Math
67%
ELA
52%
2012
Math
62%
ELA
51%
2014
Math
27%
ELA
40%
2015
Math
33%
ELA
38%
2016
Math
30%
ELA
40%
2017
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2018
Math
29%
ELA
47%
2019
Math
29%
ELA
47%
2020*
Math
22%
ELA
35%
2021*
Math
22%
ELA
35%
2022
Math
24%
ELA
37%
2024
Math
30%
ELA
35%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

52.9%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Merritt Trace Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the San Jose map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 76Very Walkable
  • Transit 48Some Transit
  • Bike 74Very Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,210/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (San Jose), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$127,297

Median home value

$1,195,700

Median rent

$2,544/mo

College educated

54.8%

Homeownership

34.2%

Poverty rate

8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 95126; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Luther Burbank ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.0K–80.5 mi431Compare →
St Leo the Great SchoolPrivate · tuition7.0privatePK–80.8 mi187Compare →
Pacific Autism Center for Education - Sunny Days CampusPrivate · tuitionNot ratedK0.9 mi6Compare →
Esther B Clark School - South BayPrivate · tuition5.6private3–101.0 mi51Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

San Jose Unified

Schools in district
41
Rank in district
#30 of 41
District spending per student
$17,909NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Merritt Trace Elementary is listed in San Jose Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Merritt Trace Elementary

Merritt Trace Elementary is a public elementary school in San Jose, CA, part of San Jose Unified, serving approximately 836 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 out of 10 and ranks #7,883 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Merritt Trace Elementary

What grades does Merritt Trace Elementary serve?

Merritt Trace Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Merritt Trace Elementary?

Merritt Trace Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 836 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Merritt Trace Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Merritt Trace Elementary is 21.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Merritt Trace Elementary rank in CA?

Merritt Trace Elementary ranks #7,883 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Merritt Trace Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Merritt Trace Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Merritt Trace Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Merritt Trace Elementary has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Merritt Trace Elementary a charter school?

No, Merritt Trace Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Merritt Trace Elementary a Title I school?

No, Merritt Trace Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Merritt Trace Elementary?

52.9% of students at Merritt Trace Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
836
Student-Teacher Ratio
21.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
39
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Santa Clara County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
36.1%
Area population (ZIP 95126)
38,239
Area average commute
24.5 min
Area median age
34.4
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 95126; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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