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Merkel High School

Q: Is Merkel High School a good school?

Merkel High School ranks 736 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

736^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 63% of Texas high schools

Summary

Merkel High School is a small, rural high school in Merkel, TX, serving 281 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Merkel Independent School District (Isd).

Merkel High School is on a strong upward trajectory, with its state ranking jumping from the 24th percentile to the 63rd percentile over the last few years. The school boasts an exceptional graduation rate of 98.9%, far exceeding nearby larger schools like Cooper High School (86.4%) and Abilene High School (91.1%). A key advantage is its very low student-to-teacher ratio of 7.7:1, which is roughly half that of these larger schools, allowing for more personalized attention. Academically, the school now outperforms the state average in Algebra I and English I Reading, a notable achievement given its recent history. However, U.S. History remains a persistent weakness, with only 64.71% of students proficient compared to the state average of 70.17%.

For a direct comparison, the most relevant benchmark is Hawley High School, located just 15.75 miles away. Both are small, rural schools with similar enrollment and levels of economic disadvantage. While Hawley is a consistent top performer (81st percentile), Merkel is improving rapidly but still lags in subjects like Biology and U.S. History. Merkel spends $11,879 per student, which is more efficient than Hawley’s $14,299, suggesting the district is using resources wisely to drive improvement. The school’s recent academic gains appear broad-based, benefiting male, Hispanic, and low socio-economic status students, though performance for multi-racial students and gifted and talented students shows volatility. Overall, Merkel High School is a school that is effectively addressing its challenges and showing significant progress.

281

Students ?

7.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,853

Per pupil spending ?

43.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2000 S 7th St
Merkel, TX 79536-0430

(325) 928-4667

District: Merkel Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Merkel High School:

Elementary:	Merkel Elementary
Middle:	Merkel Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.1%

Hispanic:

25.3%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Merkel High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓99% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

Texas avg62%

736^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

535^th of 951Merkel Independent School District (Isd) among Texas 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	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	736 of 2009	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.6	1308 of 1974	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	1303 of 1990	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.5	1488 of 1961	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.6	1366 of 1876	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.8	1106 of 1861	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.0	914 of 1857	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.7	1171 of 1797	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.2	1175 of 1777	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.9	959 of 1762	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.5	856 of 1743	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.8	934 of 1734	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.5	865 of 1652	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.3	790 of 1603	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.9	835 of 1672	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.6	755 of 1568	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	40.2	1172 of 1539	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	46.3	1010 of 1510	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	59.6	713 of 1497	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.6	877 of 1430	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	51.7	835 of 1429	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	53.2	824 of 1427	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	93.5	43 of 1013	95.8%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	23.8	1497 of 1837	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.1	904 of 1829	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.3	699 of 1810	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.7	1283 of 1784	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	54.3	806 of 1936	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.3	1060 of 1504	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.8	1135 of 1880	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	1295 of 1891	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	1388 of 1841	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.3	1076 of 1815	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.4	784 of 1798	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.9	1054 of 1781	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	531 of 1206	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	14.5	890 of 964	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.3	1153 of 1182	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	75.1	12 of 1172	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	43.9	867 of 1177	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.4	785 of 1145	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.3	951 of 1137	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	56.6	649 of 1860	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.6	1018 of 1453	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.5	1292 of 1805	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.1	1580 of 1820	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.1	1079 of 1762	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.6	936 of 1743	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.7	784 of 1714	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.2	1054 of 1691	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	668 of 1937	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.7	858 of 1513	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.7	1323 of 1884	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.8	1563 of 1897	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.6	1415 of 1847	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.9	1059 of 1848	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	1033 of 1818	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.8	1341 of 1794	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	711 of 1954	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.2	985 of 1515	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.1	1448 of 1891	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	1547 of 1913	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	1318 of 1853	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.9	1136 of 1840	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.6	1134 of 1824	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.9	1389 of 1803	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	1.8	701 of 713	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	944 of 1581	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.2	884 of 1299	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.3	381 of 1548	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	23.8	1255 of 1478	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.2	639 of 1418	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.1	463 of 1382	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.9	889 of 1357	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.4	1196 of 1347	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	890 of 1584	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	18.9	1095 of 1294	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	1371 of 1556	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	1411 of 1576	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.2	1399 of 1525	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	1260 of 1510	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	1168 of 1526	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.5	1317 of 1539	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2018)96th percentile+61 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile~ school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

Female (2026)58th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)56th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)44th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)40th percentile-23 vs school

At Risk (2022)19th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)2nd percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

English I Reading71%+16 vs state

Biology71%~ state avg

U.S. History65%-5 vs state

Algebra I64%+10 vs state

English II Reading62%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Merkel High School

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Ranking:

E = Elementary, M = Middle, H = High, A = Alternative, P = Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	Total
Merkel High School	Public	9-12	2000 S 7th St	Merkel	79536	Taylor County	Merkel Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 928-4667	281	36	7.7	43.8%	197 (70.1%)	3 (1.1%)	71 (25.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	58.2	736^th of 2009 public high schools	63.4%		33.6	1308^th of 1974 public high schools	33.7%	572	63.6	70.8	71.3	61.7	64.7	$12,853
Wylie High School	Public	9-12	4502 Antilley Rd	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Wylie Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 690-1181	1,537	97	15.8	17.6%	962 (62.6%)	76 (4.9%)	376 (24.5%)	39 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	81 (5.3%)	74.1	346^th of 2009 public high schools	82.8%		74.8	313^th of 1974 public high schools	84.1%	33	60.8	82.4	74.3	76.4	86.2	$8,661
Hawley Center For Accelerated Learning	Public	9-12	210 Ave E	Hawley	79525	Jones County	Hawley Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(325) 537-2214	6	1	5.4		4 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$16,939
Abilene High School	Public	9-12	2800 N 6th St	Abilene	79603	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 677-1731	1,798	113	15.8	63.3%	525 (29.2%)	285 (15.9%)	909 (50.6%)	12 (0.7%)	6 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	58 (3.2%)	41.9	1190^th of 2009 public high schools	40.8%		46.8	997^th of 1974 public high schools	49.5%	193	40.6	62.7	52.4	56.5	62.5	$8,270
Premier H S Of Abilene	Public, Charter	9-12	3161 S 23rd St Ste 4	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Premier High Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 698-8111	176	10	18.1	66.5%	101 (57.4%)	10 (5.7%)	56 (31.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	8 (4.5%)	36.5	1326^th of 2009 public high schools	34.0%		31.5	1360^th of 1974 public high schools	31.1%	34	36.4	62.5	25.0	28.6	80.0	$8,368
Texasworks - Abilene	Public, Charter	9-12	3161 S 23rd St	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Texas Works	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 316-3663	36	1	36.0		20 (55.6%)	3 (8.3%)	12 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.8%)	15.3	1723^rd of 2009 public high schools	14.2%					(n/a)			20.0	40.0
Hawley High School	Public	9-12	815 First Strett	Hawley	79525	Jones County	Hawley Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 537-2722	216	36	5.9	44.4%	162 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (24.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	72	388^th of 2009 public high schools	80.7%		63.6	579^th of 1974 public high schools	70.7%	191	73.2	84.6	71.2	61.3	90.4	$17,321
Taylor County Learning Center	Public	6-12	2002 Jameson St	Abilene	79603	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 794-4150	26			57.7%	4 (15.4%)	5 (19.2%)	16 (61.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.8%)	1.6	1994^th of 2009 public high schools	0.7%					(n/a)			0.0			$25,405
Cooper High School	Public	9-12	3639 Sayles Blvd	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 691-1000	1,570	109	14.3	61.4%	532 (33.9%)	240 (15.3%)	682 (43.4%)	30 (1.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	80 (5.1%)	39.5	1247^th of 2009 public high schools	37.9%		39	1187^th of 1974 public high schools	39.9%	60	38.2	64.6	45.5	54.0	66.1	$9,668
Triumph Public High Schools-Abilene	Public, Charter	9-12	221 Oak St	Abilene	79602	Taylor County	Triumph Public High Schools-West Texas	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(325) 261-0158	85	4	19.1		19 (22.4%)	7 (8.2%)	53 (62.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.1%)	4.3	1898^th of 2009 public high schools	5.5%					(n/a)	6.3	27.0	12.8	21.6	30.4

Frequently Asked Questions about Merkel High School

What district is Merkel High School in?

Merkel Independent School District (Isd)

Is Merkel High School a good school?

Merkel High School ranks 736^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Merkel High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 281 students attended Merkel High School.

What schools feed into Merkel High School?

Merkel High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Merkel Elementary
Middle : Merkel Middle

What is the racial makeup of Merkel High School?

Students at Merkel High School are 70% White, 25% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

Rate Merkel 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 Texas Education Agency.

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.