Enrollment
242
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baton Rouge, LA
Merrydale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Merrydale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220054000399
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrydale Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #52 of 59
- schools in Baton Rouge · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 92.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrydale Elementary School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrydale Elementary School ranks #52 of 59 schools in Baton Rouge, LA.
School address
District: East Baton Rouge Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220054000399 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.3%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrydale Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrydale Elementary School
Merrydale Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, enrolling 242 students.
At 16.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Louisiana median, within a few percentage points of the 16.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 92.3% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 138 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #127, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Baton Rouge's public schools, it stands alongside University View Academy Inc. (Frm La Connections) (3,725 students): Merrydale Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 20.6:1).
East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students) and Woodlawn High School (1,331 students) alongside Merrydale 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 Merrydale Elementary School compares
Merrydale Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.3% | ▲ 48% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 47% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.5%
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
$15,604
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 96.3%
Two or More 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
White 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, Merrydale Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Merrydale Elementary School.
$15,604
Per student
-5%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 24.4%
Federal 21.4%
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 Merrydale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Idea Bridge | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tara High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrydale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,593
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,331
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,122
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Baton Rouge
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
University View Academy Inc. (Frm La Connections)
Standard public school
3,725 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy
Standard public school
2,239 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
Lsu Laboratory School
Standard public school
1,463 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Idea Bridge
Standard public school
1,122 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
South Baton Rouge Charter Academy
Standard public school
819 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Idea Innovation
Standard public school
797 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~242 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrydale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Merrydale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- East Baton Rouge Parish'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 Merrydale Elementary School
How many students attend Merrydale Elementary School?
Merrydale Elementary School has 242 students enrolled. It is a public school in Baton Rouge, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrydale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrydale Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 3% higher 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 Merrydale Elementary School?
92.3% of students at Merrydale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrydale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Merrydale Elementary School is African American at 96.3% of enrollment, in Baton Rouge, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrydale Elementary School?
Merrydale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Merrydale Elementary School rank among schools in Baton Rouge?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrydale Elementary School ranks #52 of 59 schools in Baton Rouge, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Baton Rouge on the city page.
Is Merrydale Elementary School a good school?
Merrydale Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana 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 East Baton Rouge Parish?
Besides Merrydale Elementary School, East Baton Rouge Parish also operates Baton Rouge Magnet High School (1,593 students), Woodlawn High School (1,331 students), and Liberty High School (1,218 students). See the East Baton Rouge Parish 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.