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Merrill Middle School

Q: Is Merrill Middle School a good school?

Merrill Middle School ranks 209 th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

209^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 39% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Merrill Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 651 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merrill Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with 69.2% of 6th-grade students scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 48.5% for the district and 72.8% for the state. In 8th-grade Mathematics, Merrill's students scored 72.9% proficient or better, compared to 51.2% for the district and 74.4% for the state. However, the school has experienced higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 42.0% over the past few years, which is an area of concern. Additionally, Merrill Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 36.41% to 44.64% over the past few years, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When compared to other middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, such as McCombs, Harding, and Hiatt Middle Schools, Merrill Middle School stands out as one of the higher-performing schools. However, its statewide ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 75 out of 318 Iowa middle schools in 2017-2018 to a ranking of 209 out of 344 in 2024-2025, suggesting that the school may be facing challenges in maintaining its performance relative to other schools in the state.

657

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,938

Per pupil spending ?

43.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5301 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA 50312

(515) 242-8448

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Merrill Middle School usually attend:

High:

Roosevelt High School

Feeder schools for Merrill Middle School:

Elementary:	Cowles Elementary School
	Hanawalt Elementary
	Windsor Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.8%

African American:

15.8%

Hispanic:

13.2%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Merrill Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Des Moines Independent Community School District

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school74%

District avg51%

Iowa avg74%

209^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 47% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 10Middle Schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District

306^th of 313Des Moines Independent Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	209 of 344	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	224 of 337	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	220 of 334	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	211 of 337	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.5	204 of 324	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	198 of 342	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	70.3	75 of 318	76.4%	★★★★☆
2017	66.9	97 of 327	70.3%	★★★★☆
2016	60.9	137 of 343	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.3	165 of 349	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.0	186 of 337	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.5	203 of 350	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.4	187 of 349	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%~ state avg

Mathematics74%~ state avg

Science69%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Merrill Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)			ISASP Mathematics (2025)			ISASP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	657	39	16.7	43.7%	386 (58.8%)	104 (15.8%)	87 (13.2%)	22 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.4%)	48	209^th of 344 public middle schools	39.2%		42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%	15	69.2	80.3	77.9	74.3	75.1	72.9	69.1	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	553	35	15.7	79.9%	147 (26.6%)	213 (38.5%)	116 (21.0%)	19 (3.4%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.4%)	47 (8.5%)	2.3	333^rd of 344 public middle schools	3.2%		6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%	14	49.0	50.3	54.7	41.2	40.9	50.7	48.0	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	645	48	13.4	47.0%	385 (59.7%)	80 (12.4%)	104 (16.1%)	28 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.3%)	43.3	237^th of 344 public middle schools	31.1%		52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%	48		79.5	75.1		73.2	73.5	64.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	641	39	16.4	71.3%	287 (44.8%)	82 (12.8%)	193 (30.1%)	23 (3.6%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	49 (7.6%)	3.9	327^th of 344 public middle schools	4.9%		6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%	7	49.8	53.3	61.4	46.3	45.1	52.0	51.0	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	661	52	12.7	51.9%	334 (50.5%)	70 (10.6%)	159 (24.1%)	52 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.0%)	65.2	118^th of 344 public middle schools	65.7%		59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%	31		84.4	83.1		81.0	80.1	74.0	$15,125	$193	$14,931
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	662	40	16.4	79.8%	153 (23.1%)	200 (30.2%)	146 (22.1%)	104 (15.7%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.6%)	7	322^nd of 344 public middle schools	6.4%		4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%	1	52.9	61.7	63.0	41.9	57.4	54.5	49.8	$14,971	$1,099	$13,873
Urbandale Middle School	Public	6-8	7701 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6600	892	59	15.1	41.4%	565 (63.3%)	77 (8.6%)	136 (15.2%)	62 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (5.6%)	43.1	240^th of 344 public middle schools	30.2%		49.3	201^st of 337 public middle schools	40.4%	39	71.4	71.4	85.0	68.6	67.2	74.1	70.2	$8,993	$119	$8,874
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	603	38	15.7	88.6%	96 (15.9%)	178 (29.5%)	207 (34.3%)	62 (10.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (9.3%)	0.6	340^th of 344 public middle schools	1.2%		0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%	6	39.6	37.5	48.2	40.3	43.8	42.5	35.2	$13,719	$830	$12,889
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	488	35	14.1	93.4%	65 (13.3%)	100 (20.5%)	260 (53.3%)	35 (7.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.7%)	0.5	341^st of 344 public middle schools	0.9%		0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%	6	43.1	46.2	46.3	30.6	36.4	38.1	37.3	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	688	48	14.1	87.4%	133 (19.3%)	121 (17.6%)	292 (42.4%)	97 (14.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	1.7	334^th of 344 public middle schools	2.9%		1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%	1	47.7	55.8	49.2	36.4	43.6	40.8	42.4	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill Middle School

Is Merrill Middle School a good school?

Merrill Middle School ranks 209^th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Merrill Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 657 students attended Merrill Middle School.

What district is Merrill Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Merrill Middle School?

Students at Merrill Middle School are 59% White, 16% African American, 13% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Merrill Middle School attend?

Students who attend Merrill Middle School usually go on to attend Roosevelt High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.