Enrollment
611
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Denver, CO
Merrill Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Merrill Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080336000379
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrill Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Colorado schools.
- #30 of 31
- middle schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 33.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrill Middle School has class sizes larger than 84% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Middle School ranks #30 of 31 middle schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336000379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.1%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrill Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrill Middle School
Merrill Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 611 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.1% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 611 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 268 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #244, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 764 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Merrill Middle 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 Middle School compares
Merrill Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.7:1 | ▲ 19% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.1% | ▼ 14% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 611 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
611
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 84% in Colorado - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.6%
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
$15,336
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 54.6%
Hispanic or Latino 32.1%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 4.1%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 54.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Merrill Middle School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Merrill Middle School.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrill Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~611 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrill Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Merrill Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Middle School
How many students attend Merrill Middle School?
Merrill Middle School has 611 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrill Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrill Middle School is 19.7:1, which is 19% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merrill Middle School?
33.1% of students at Merrill Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrill Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Merrill Middle School is White at 54.6% of enrollment, in Denver, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrill Middle School?
Merrill Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Middle School ranks #30 of 31 middle schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Merrill Middle School a good school?
Merrill Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Colorado 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Merrill Middle School, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
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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.