Enrollment
196
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merrill, MI
Merrill Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Merrill Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262361006041
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrill Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Merrill · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 60.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrill Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Merrill, MI.
School address
District: Merrill Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262361006041 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrill Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrill Elementary School
Merrill Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Merrill, Michigan, enrolling 196 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Merrill Elementary School is leaner than roughly 89% of Michigan schools and 34% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.0% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 196 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 335 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Merrill Community Schools also operates Merrill High School (165 students) and Merrill Middle School (97 students) alongside Merrill Elementary School.
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 Merrill Elementary School compares
Merrill Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.5:1 | ▼ 34% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.0% | ▲ 10% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 196 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
196
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 11% in Michigan - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,058
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 94.4%
African American 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.7, Merrill Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrill Community Schools, which includes Merrill Elementary School.
$13,058
Per student
-3%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 53.5%
Federal 16.7%
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 Merrill Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Merrill Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrill Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 165
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 97
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~196 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrill Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Merrill Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrill Community 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 Merrill Elementary School
How many students attend Merrill Elementary School?
Merrill Elementary School has 196 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merrill, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrill Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrill Elementary School is 11.5:1, which is 34% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 27% 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 Merrill Elementary School?
60.0% of students at Merrill Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrill Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Merrill Elementary School is White at 94.4% of enrollment, in Merrill, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrill Elementary School?
Merrill Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Merrill Elementary School rank among public schools in Merrill?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Merrill, MI. 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 Merrill Elementary School a good school?
Merrill Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Community Schools?
Besides Merrill Elementary School, Merrill Community Schools also operates Merrill High School (165 students) and Merrill Middle School (97 students). See the Merrill Community 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.