MERKEL ISD operates 3 public schools serving 1,140 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Texas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,090 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Taylor County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,853 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 35.6% local, 51.4% state, and 13.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $78,643 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 44/100, ranked #625 of 1044 in Texas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 363.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 21.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.2% White, 26.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American across the district's schools.
Merkel El accounts for 51.7% of all MERKEL ISD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means MERKEL ISD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
MERKEL ISD school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities
MERKEL ISD school enrollment ranges from 246 students (lowest) to 563 students (highest), a spread of 317 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
MERKEL ISD student-counselor ratio is 363:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
MERKEL ISD chronic absenteeism rate is 21.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within MERKEL ISD is typically wider than the MERKEL ISD-aggregate figure suggests.
MERKEL ISD has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,140 students.
How much does MERKEL ISD spend per student?
MERKEL ISD spends $12,853 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #625 in Texas.
What is the average teacher salary in MERKEL ISD?
The average teacher salary in MERKEL ISD is $78,643 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near MERKEL ISD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Taylor County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of MERKEL ISD?
MERKEL ISD students are 69.2% White, 26.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for MERKEL ISD?
MERKEL ISD has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #625 out of 1044 districts in Texas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.