Merkel ISD

Public school district · Taylor County · Texas · NCES district ID 4830340

Merkel ISD spent $11,577 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 64% of the other Texas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,244). Its 3 schools enrolled 1,090 students in 2024-25; 52.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,264 per student, up 5.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% or more (Texas: 90.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Texas districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Merkel ISD in enrollment (1,132 to 1,155 students) and Merkel ISD itself.

Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Merkel ISD, FY23City View ISD $15,506; New Boston ISD $15,332; Jefferson ISD $14,973; Dublin ISD $12,874; Hughes Springs ISD $12,733; Early ISD $12,181; Merkel ISD $11,577; Boling ISD $11,120; Holliday ISD $10,852; Winfree Academy Charter Schools $9,833; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k10k12k14k16kCity View ISD$15,506New Boston ISD$15,332Jefferson ISD$14,973Dublin ISD$12,874Hughes Springs ISD$12,733Early ISD$12,181Merkel ISD$11,577Boling ISD$11,120Holliday ISD$10,852Winfree Academy Charter Schools$9,833State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Merkel ISD, FY23City View ISD $15,506; New Boston ISD $15,332; Jefferson ISD $14,973; Dublin ISD $12,874; Hughes Springs ISD $12,733; Early ISD $12,181; Merkel ISD $11,577; Boling ISD $11,120; Holliday ISD $10,852; Winfree Academy Charter Schools $9,833; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k10k12k14k16kCity View ISD$15,506New Boston ISD$15,332Jefferson ISD$14,973Dublin ISD$12,874Hughes Springs ISD$12,733Early ISD$12,181Merkel ISD$11,577Boling ISD$11,120Holliday ISD$10,852Winfree Academy Charter Schools$9,833State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Merkel ISD, FY23City View ISD $15,506; New Boston ISD $15,332; Jefferson ISD $14,973; Dublin ISD $12,874; Hughes Springs ISD $12,733; Early ISD $12,181; Merkel ISD $11,577; Boling ISD $11,120; Holliday ISD $10,852; Winfree Academy Charter Schools $9,833; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k12k16kCity View ISD$15,506New Boston ISD$15,332Jefferson ISD$14,973Dublin ISD$12,874Hughes Springs ISD$12,733Early ISD$12,181Merkel ISD$11,577Boling ISD$11,120Holliday ISD$10,852Winfree Academy Charter Schools$9,833State median, 1,000+ students $12,244
Current spending per student, Texas districts closest in size to Merkel ISD, FY23City View ISD $15,506; New Boston ISD $15,332; Jefferson ISD $14,973; Dublin ISD $12,874; Hughes Springs ISD $12,733; Early ISD $12,181; Merkel ISD $11,577; Boling ISD $11,120; Holliday ISD $10,852; Winfree Academy Charter Schools $9,833; State median, 1,000+ students $12,244.8k12k16kCity View ISD$15,506New Boston ISD$15,332Jefferson ISD$14,973Dublin ISD$12,874Hughes Springs ISD$12,733Early ISD$12,181Merkel ISD$11,577Boling ISD$11,120Holliday ISD$10,852Winfree Academy Charter Schools$9,833State median, 1,000+ students $12,244

Where the money came from

$17,069,000 in revenue: 52.3% state, 33.8% local and 13.9% federal. Total spending including $842,000 of capital outlay was $14,834,000, or $13,012 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Merkel ISD revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $8,919,000; Local $5,771,000; Federal $2,379,000; total $17,069,000.
  • State$8,919,000 52%
  • Local$5,771,000 34%
  • Federal$2,379,000 14%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 577 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

1,140 students in 2022-23, 1,126 students in 2023-24, 1,090 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Merkel ISD enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,140, 2023-24: 1,126, 2024-25: 1,09005001k1.5k2022-231,1402023-241,1262024-251,090
Merkel ISD enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,140, 2023-24: 1,126, 2024-25: 1,09005001k1.5k2022-231,1402023-241,1262024-251,090
Merkel ISD enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,140, 2023-24: 1,126, 2024-25: 1,09005001k1.5k2022-231,1402023-241,1262024-251,090
Merkel ISD enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,140, 2023-24: 1,126, 2024-25: 1,09005001k1.5k2022-231,1402023-241,1262024-251,090

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-231,14099.411.5
2023-241,12697.011.6
2024-251,090103.810.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$4,662,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,089 per student

Merkel ISD booked $4,662,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 99 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $46,916 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 28 in 100 Texas districts with a figure (state median $50,660, 1,054 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Texas teacher salary at $58,887 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$3,176,00068.1%
Special education$458,0009.8%
Vocational$435,0009.3%
Other programs$593,00012.7%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,642 in 2018-19, $4,117 in 2019-20, $4,313 in 2020-21, $4,080 in 2021-22, $4,089 in 2022-23.

Merkel ISD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,642, 2019-20: $4,117, 2020-21: $4,313, 2021-22: $4,080, 2022-23: $4,08902k4k6k2018-19$3,6422019-20$4,1172020-21$4,3132021-22$4,0802022-23$4,089
Merkel ISD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,642, 2019-20: $4,117, 2020-21: $4,313, 2021-22: $4,080, 2022-23: $4,08902k4k6k2018-19$3,6422019-20$4,1172020-21$4,3132021-22$4,0802022-23$4,089
Merkel ISD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,642, 2019-20: $4,117, 2020-21: $4,313, 2021-22: $4,080, 2022-23: $4,08902k4k6k2018-19$3,6422019-20$4,1172020-21$4,3132021-22$4,0802022-23$4,089
Merkel ISD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,642, 2019-20: $4,117, 2020-21: $4,313, 2021-22: $4,080, 2022-23: $4,08902k4k6k2018-19$3,6422019-20$4,1172020-21$4,3132021-22$4,0802022-23$4,089

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Merkel ISD scored proficient or above: 48-52% in reading and 28-32% in math, against 52% in reading and 42% in math across Texas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Texas, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtTexasStudents tested
Reading and language arts48-52%52%454
Math28-32%42%384

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

95% or more of the 83 students in Merkel ISD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.3% across Texas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtTexas
Four-year graduation rate95% or more90.3%
Students in the class83403,301

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 elementary school, 563 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Merkel Elementary56313.748.3%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 246 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Merkel Middle2469.340.7%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 281 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Merkel High School2817.743.8%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Merkel ISD

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Merkel ISD

  1. Texas districts by spending per studentMerkel ISD ranks 370 of 577 Texas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,577).#370 of 577
  2. Every school district in TexasMerkel ISD is the number 533 by size of 1,212 Texas districts, with 1,140 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#533 of 1,212
  3. Boling ISDThe next larger Texas district: 1,146 students in fall 2022, $11,120 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,120
  4. Holliday ISDThe next smaller Texas district: 1,137 students in fall 2022, $10,852 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,852
  5. Compare Merkel ISD with Boling ISDEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Merkel High School, its largest high school281 students in 2024-25, 7.7 per teacher.281
  7. Teacher salary spending across TexasMerkel ISD spent $46,916 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $50,660); spending, not a salary.$46,916
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Merkel ISD

  1. How many schools and students are in Merkel ISD?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 1,090 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Merkel ISD spend per student?
    $11,577 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Texas median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,244 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,264 per student, up 5.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Merkel ISD's money come from?
    $17,069,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.3% state, 33.8% local and 13.9% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Merkel ISD live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 230 of the 1,264 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Merkel ISD spend on teacher salaries?
    $4,662,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,089 per student. Divided by the 99 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $46,916 per teacher, more than 28 in 100 Texas districts (state median $50,660). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Texas teacher salary at $58,887 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Merkel ISD do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Merkel ISD scored proficient or above: 48-52% in reading and 28-32% in math, against 52% in reading and 42% in math across Texas. Texas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Merkel ISD?
    95% or more of the 83 students in Merkel ISD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.3% across Texas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Merkel ISD's NCES district ID?
    4830340. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .