Enrollment
257
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merrill, WI
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550921001103
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Merrill · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 44.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Merrill, WI.
School address
District: Merrill Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550921001103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.5%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Merrill, Wisconsin, enrolling 257 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 257 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 358 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #192.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Merrill's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prairie River Middle (507 students): Washington Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.5:1 vs 11.5:1).
Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students) and Bridges Virtual Academy (674 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington Elementary compares
Washington 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.5% | ▲ 16% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
257
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 54% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,642
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 86.4%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.3, Washington Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrill Area School District, which includes Washington Elementary.
$13,642
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 48.5%
Federal 12.2%
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 Washington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridges Virtual Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie River Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kate Goodrich Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine River School for Young Learners (Prsyl) | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Merrill
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~257 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Merrill Area 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 257 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merrill, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 14% 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 Washington Elementary?
44.5% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is White at 86.4% of enrollment, in Merrill, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Washington Elementary rank among elementary schools in Merrill?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Merrill, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Merrill on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin 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 Merrill Area School District?
Besides Washington Elementary, Merrill Area School District also operates Merrill High (756 students), Bridges Virtual Academy (674 students), and Prairie River Middle (507 students). See the Merrill Area 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.