Enrollment
445
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Durham, NC
Merrick-Moore Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merrick-Moore Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370126000543
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrick-Moore Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of North Carolina schools.
- #14 of 33
- schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrick-Moore Elementary has class sizes smaller than 95% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrick-Moore Elementary ranks #14 of 33 schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126000543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrick-Moore Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrick-Moore Elementary
Merrick-Moore Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 445 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.5:1, Merrick-Moore Elementary is leaner than roughly 95% of North Carolina schools and 40% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 445 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 540 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #51, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 223 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Durham's public schools, it stands alongside Nc Virtual Academy (3,482 students): Merrick-Moore Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.5:1 vs 24.7:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Merrick-Moore 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 Merrick-Moore Elementary compares
Merrick-Moore Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.5:1 | ▼ 40% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 445 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.5:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.5:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 5% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.1%
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
$14,937
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 223 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 52.1%
African American 39.3%
White 3.8%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Merrick-Moore Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Merrick-Moore Elementary.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 Merrick-Moore Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrick-Moore Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Durham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nc Virtual Academy
Standard public school
3,482 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
North Carolina Cyber Academy
Standard public school
2,461 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Durham School of the Arts
Standard public school
1,764 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Voyager Academy
Standard public school
1,360 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Excelsior Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,032 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Durham Charter School
Standard public school
1,010 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~445 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrick-Moore Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merrick-Moore Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Durham Public Schools'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 Merrick-Moore Elementary
How many students attend Merrick-Moore Elementary?
Merrick-Moore Elementary has 445 students enrolled. It is a public school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrick-Moore Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrick-Moore Elementary is 9.5:1, which is 40% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 39% 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 Merrick-Moore Elementary?
99.4% of students at Merrick-Moore Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrick-Moore Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merrick-Moore Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrick-Moore Elementary?
Merrick-Moore Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Merrick-Moore Elementary rank among schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrick-Moore Elementary ranks #14 of 33 schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Durham on the city page.
Is Merrick-Moore Elementary a good school?
Merrick-Moore Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of North Carolina 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Merrick-Moore Elementary, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham Public Schools 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.