Enrollment
337
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merrill, WI
Kate Goodrich Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Kate Goodrich Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550921001490
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kate Goodrich Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Merrill · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Kate Goodrich Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Goodrich Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Merrill, WI.
School address
District: Merrill Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550921001490 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kate Goodrich Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kate Goodrich Elementary
Kate Goodrich Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Merrill, Wisconsin, enrolling 337 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Kate Goodrich Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of Wisconsin schools and 27% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 337 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 322 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #263, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Merrill's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prairie River Middle (507 students): Kate Goodrich Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 11.5:1).
Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students) and Bridges Virtual Academy (674 students) alongside Kate Goodrich Elementary.
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 Kate Goodrich Elementary compares
Kate Goodrich Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.5:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 31% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 337 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
337
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 85.8%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.6, Kate Goodrich Elementary 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 Kate Goodrich Elementary.
$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 Kate Goodrich Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridges Virtual Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie River Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine River School for Young Learners (Prsyl) | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kate Goodrich Elementary'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
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- 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 elementary schools in Merrill
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~337 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kate Goodrich Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Kate Goodrich Elementary 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 Kate Goodrich Elementary
How many students attend Kate Goodrich Elementary?
Kate Goodrich Elementary has 337 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merrill, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kate Goodrich Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Kate Goodrich Elementary is 10.5:1, which is 27% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kate Goodrich Elementary?
50.4% of students at Kate Goodrich Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kate Goodrich Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Kate Goodrich Elementary is White at 85.8% of enrollment, in Merrill, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kate Goodrich Elementary?
Kate Goodrich Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kate Goodrich Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merrill?
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Goodrich Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Merrill on the city page.
Is Kate Goodrich Elementary a good school?
Kate Goodrich Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Kate Goodrich Elementary, Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students), Bridges Virtual Academy (674 students), and Prairie River Middle (507 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.