Annual Education Report Highlights Bright Spots Across the County

Educational leaders, elected officials and community members from across Merced County gathered for the Merced County Schools Annual Education Report presentation, hosted at the MCOE Downtown Center, on Feb. 4.

The presentation, led by Merced County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Tietjen, highlighted educational updates for the 2024-25 school year, including graduation rates, student demographics and MCOE program updates, among other insights documented in the report. 

“This year we focused on some of the stories and programs here at MCOE that help students and the community connect,” said Merced County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Tietjen during the presentation. “We call these our bright spots.”

The 2025 Annual Education Report focused on educational programs and partnerships that positively impact school communities across Merced County, from career training courses to arts implementation in Special Education classrooms.

The event also included special performances from students in the Merced Multicultural Art Center’s MAC Theater Camp and videos produced by Merced Education Television (METV) that showcase positive stories in the county. 

“Public schools are places where we want kids to come together from diverse backgrounds, different religious backgrounds, different languages and learn how to work together,” Tietjen concluded. “We’re lucky to be here in Merced County, quite frankly, because we have teachers that do that.”

Digital copies of the 2024-25 Annual Education Report as well as the video presentations are available at mcoe.org/annualreport.