Enrollment
267
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saginaw, MI
Merrill Park Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Merrill Park Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 263039006673
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrill Park Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #6 of 27
- schools in Saginaw · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 96.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrill Park Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Park Elementary School ranks #6 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI.
School address
District: Saginaw School District of the City of · Michigan
NCES ID 263039006673 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrill Park Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrill Park Elementary School
Merrill Park Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Saginaw, Michigan, enrolling 267 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 96.3% of students qualify for free meals, 77% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 267 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 231 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and White (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 98.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 34.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 77 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 267 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Saginaw's public schools, it stands alongside Arthur Eddy Academy (232 students): Merrill Park Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 12.2:1).
Saginaw School District of the City of also operates Arthur Hill High School (981 students) and Thompson Middle School (585 students) alongside Merrill Park 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 Park Elementary School compares
Merrill Park 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.3% | ▲ 77% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 267 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
267
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 24% in Michigan - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
98.1%
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
$15,574
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.8 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 47.9%
White 19.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 12.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Merrill Park Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saginaw School District of the City of, which includes Merrill Park Elementary School.
$15,574
Per student
+15%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.2%
State 42.7%
Federal 34.1%
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 Park Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Hill High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thompson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saginaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Handley School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrill Park Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 32.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Saginaw
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~267 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrill Park Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Merrill Park Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Saginaw School District of the City of'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 Park Elementary School
How many students attend Merrill Park Elementary School?
Merrill Park Elementary School has 267 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saginaw, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrill Park Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrill Park Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 19% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 10% 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 Park Elementary School?
96.3% of students at Merrill Park Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrill Park Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Merrill Park Elementary School is African American at 47.9% of enrollment, in Saginaw, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrill Park Elementary School?
Merrill Park Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Merrill Park Elementary School rank among schools in Saginaw?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrill Park Elementary School ranks #6 of 27 schools in Saginaw, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Saginaw on the city page.
Is Merrill Park Elementary School a good school?
Merrill Park Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Michigan schools. It is also more 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 Saginaw School District of the City of?
Besides Merrill Park Elementary School, Saginaw School District of the City of also operates Arthur Hill High School (981 students), Thompson Middle School (585 students), and Saginaw High School (405 students). See the Saginaw School District of the City of 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.