Merced Times

In the 2023-24 school year, 12th grade was the largest grade in Merced County Office of Education, with 516 students making up 28.5% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 1.6% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 11th grade, with 256 students, or 14.1% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of 12th grade students in Merced County Office of Education during the period was Merced County Special Education, while Merced County Juvenile Court had the fewest.

Overall, Merced County Office of Education enrolled 1,810 students, ranking as the 485th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 474th lowest in the previous school year.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

School	Total Enrollment
Come Back Charter	120
Floyd A. Schelby	84
Merced County Juvenile Court	18
Merced County Special Education	895
Merced Scholars Charter	297
Valley Atwater Community	120
Valley Los Banos Community	195
Valley Merced Community	81