Enrollment
224
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beloit, WI
Merrill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merrill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550105000147
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrill Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #6 of 11
- schools in Beloit · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 87.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrill Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Elementary ranks #6 of 11 schools in Beloit, WI.
School address
District: Beloit School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550105000147 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+128% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrill Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrill Elementary
Merrill Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Beloit, Wisconsin, enrolling 224 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.8% of students qualify for free meals, 128% above the Wisconsin average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 224 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.
Against 89 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #58.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Beloit School District spends $18,087 per pupil, 21% above the Wisconsin average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Beloit's public schools, it stands alongside The Lincoln Academy (727 students): Merrill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 23.5:1).
Beloit School District also operates Memorial High (1,305 students) and Aldrich Intermediate (521 students) alongside Merrill 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 Merrill Elementary compares
Merrill 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.8% | ▲ 128% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 224 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
224
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 128% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 38% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.7%
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
$18,087
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 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
African American 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 21.4%
White 12.1%
Two or More 10.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 55.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Merrill Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beloit School District, which includes Merrill Elementary.
$18,087
Per student
+21%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 65.4%
Federal 16.4%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aldrich Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fran Fruzen Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robinson Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Todd Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Beloit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
The Lincoln Academy
Standard public school
727 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Robinson Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Todd Elementary
Standard public school
471 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Converse Elementary
Standard public school
446 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Hackett Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Gaston Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~224 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merrill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Beloit 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 Merrill Elementary
How many students attend Merrill Elementary?
Merrill Elementary has 224 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beloit, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrill Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 21% 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?
87.8% of students at Merrill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merrill Elementary is African American at 55.4% of enrollment, in Beloit, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrill Elementary?
Merrill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Merrill Elementary rank among schools in Beloit?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Elementary ranks #6 of 11 schools in Beloit, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Beloit on the city page.
Is Merrill Elementary a good school?
Merrill Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Beloit School District?
Besides Merrill Elementary, Beloit School District also operates Memorial High (1,305 students), Aldrich Intermediate (521 students), and Fran Fruzen Intermediate (490 students). See the Beloit 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.