Enrollment
674
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merrill, WI
Bridges Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bridges Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550921002927Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bridges Virtual Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Merrill · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 24.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Bridges Virtual Academy has class sizes larger than 86% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bridges Virtual Academy ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Merrill, WI.
School address
District: Merrill Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550921002927 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bridges Virtual Academy compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bridges Virtual Academy
Bridges Virtual Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Merrill, Wisconsin, enrolling 674 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 86% of Wisconsin schools and 17% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 674 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 364 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Merrill's public schools, it stands alongside Pine River School for Young Learners (Prsyl) (124 students): Bridges Virtual Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 17.7:1).
Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students) and Prairie River Middle (507 students) alongside Bridges Virtual Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bridges Virtual Academy compares
Bridges Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 37% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 674 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
674
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 86% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,642
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 80.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Bridges Virtual Academy is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrill Area School District, which includes Bridges Virtual Academy.
$13,642
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 48.5%
Federal 12.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bridges Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie River Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kate Goodrich Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine River School for Young Learners (Prsyl) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bridges Virtual Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Merrill
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~674 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bridges Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bridges Virtual Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Merrill Area School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bridges Virtual Academy
How many students attend Bridges Virtual Academy?
Bridges Virtual Academy has 674 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merrill, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bridges Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bridges Virtual Academy is 16.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bridges Virtual Academy?
24.1% of students at Bridges Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bridges Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bridges Virtual Academy is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Merrill, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bridges Virtual Academy?
Bridges Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bridges Virtual Academy rank among public schools in Merrill?
By Resource Investment Index, Bridges Virtual Academy ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Merrill, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Merrill on the city page.
Is Bridges Virtual Academy a good school?
Bridges Virtual Academy earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Wisconsin schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Merrill Area School District?
Besides Bridges Virtual Academy, Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students), Prairie River Middle (507 students), and Kate Goodrich Elementary (337 students). See the Merrill Area School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.