Enrollment
466
New Hampshire · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Penacook, NH
Merrimack Valley Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Merrimack Valley Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 330476000506
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrimack Valley Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Penacook · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.6:1
- students per teacher
- 21.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrimack Valley Middle School has class sizes near the New Hampshire median. Computed live against every New Hampshire school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrimack Valley Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penacook, NH.
School address
District: Merrimack Valley School District · New Hampshire
NCES ID 330476000506 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 11.3:1 New Hampshire avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.4%
vs 21.5% New Hampshire avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrimack Valley Middle School compares with New Hampshire and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrimack Valley Middle School
Merrimack Valley Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Penacook, New Hampshire, enrolling 466 students.
At 10.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Hampshire median, within a few percentage points of the 11.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.4% lands close to the New Hampshire typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 466 puts it in the larger third of New Hampshire schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 500 scored New Hampshire schools.
Against 136 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #62.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 155 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Merrimack Valley School District spends $19,092 per pupil, 33% below the New Hampshire average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 125 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 466 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Merrimack Valley School District also operates Merrimack Valley High School (744 students) and Penacook Elementary School (325 students) alongside Merrimack Valley 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 Merrimack Valley Middle School compares
Merrimack Valley Middle School on the metrics families compare, against New Hampshire and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Hampshire | New Hampshire avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 11.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.4% | ▼ 0% | 21.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% below the New Hampshire average of 21.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in New Hampshire - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$19,092
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Hampshire avg of $28,358
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 155 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
77
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 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
White 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 2.1%
African American 1.7%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.3, Merrimack Valley Middle School is less mixed than the New Hampshire school average of 24.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrimack Valley School District, which includes Merrimack Valley Middle School.
$19,092
Per student
-33%
vs New Hampshire
Avg $28,358
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.9%
State 31.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Merrimack Valley Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Penacook Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Loudon Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Boscawen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrimack Valley Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 88
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Hampshire, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~466 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrimack Valley Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Merrimack Valley Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrimack Valley 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 Merrimack Valley Middle School
How many students attend Merrimack Valley Middle School?
Merrimack Valley Middle School has 466 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Penacook, NH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrimack Valley Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrimack Valley Middle School is 10.6:1, which is 6% lower than the New Hampshire average of 11.3:1 and 32% 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 Merrimack Valley Middle School?
21.4% of students at Merrimack Valley Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Hampshire average of 21.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrimack Valley Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Merrimack Valley Middle School is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Penacook, NH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrimack Valley Middle School?
Merrimack Valley Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Merrimack Valley Middle School rank among public schools in Penacook?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrimack Valley Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Penacook, NH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Penacook on the city page.
Is Merrimack Valley Middle School a good school?
Merrimack Valley Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median. 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 Merrimack Valley School District?
Besides Merrimack Valley Middle School, Merrimack Valley School District also operates Merrimack Valley High School (744 students), Penacook Elementary School (325 students), and Loudon Elementary School (243 students). See the Merrimack Valley 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.