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Merino Junior Senior High School

Public Grades 7-12
123rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 340 Colorado High Schools
Better than 64% of Colorado high schools
Summary

Merino Junior Senior High School is a small combined junior/senior high school in Merino, Colorado, serving grades 7–12 with 155 students. The school belongs to School District No. Re-4 Buffalo, which ranks 20th out of 115 districts in Colorado (83rd percentile, 4 stars). Merino itself earned a 3-star rating and ranks 122nd out of 338 high schools (64th percentile) for 2025–2026, an improvement from the prior year. About 13 miles away, Sterling High School is roughly three times larger and ranks 255th out of 338 high schools (25th percentile), making Merino the stronger academic choice in the region.

Merino’s strengths are most visible in literacy and early high school math. In 9th grade, 73% of students scored proficient in reading/writing versus 66% statewide, and 58% were proficient in math versus 40% statewide. Tenth-grade scores were similarly strong. However, 11th-grade SAT math proficiency falls to just 15%, compared to 32% statewide — a sharp drop that suggests upper-grade math is a persistent challenge. Graduation rates are solid, hitting 92.0% in 2024–2025 versus 85.6% statewide, and the dropout rate is just 0.6%. By comparison, Sterling High School’s 9th-grade reading proficiency is only 52% and math is 27%, both well below Merino’s marks.

The biggest red flag at Merino is chronic absenteeism. In 2024–2025, 44.6% of students were chronically absent, far exceeding the district rate of 28.1% and the state rate of 28.4%. This is an unusual combination with such high graduation rates, but it likely disrupts classroom continuity and helps explain uneven test performance across grade levels. Another trend worth watching is the student-teacher ratio, which jumped from 12.2 in 2023–2024 to 16.7 in 2024–2025 — a large increase for a small school that could mean less individualized attention. Poverty levels are moderate, with 32% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, lower than Sterling’s 44%. With targeted attention to absenteeism and 11th-grade math, Merino has clear opportunities to build on its strengths.

155
Students ?
16.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$20,379
Per pupil spending ?
32.3%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in Colorado receive free school meals.
 315 Lee
       Merino, CO  80741

(970) 522-7424

District: School District No. Re-4 Buffalo


Feeder schools for Merino Junior Senior High School:

Elementary:    Merino Elementary School
Racial breakdown:

White:
86.5%
Hispanic:
11.0%
Two or more races:
1.3%
more
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 Compare Merino Junior Senior High School to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2012 → 64th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Colorado average (55% vs 43% meeting standards)
✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)
✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2012
Worth a look
!High chronic absenteeism (45% vs 28% Colorado)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Mathematics scores 16 pts below the Colorado average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school55%
District avg55%
Colorado avg43%
123rd of 340
Colorado public high schools ?
Top 36%▲ up 5 pts since 2018
From top 41% (2018) to top 36% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
22nd of 114School District No. Re-4 Buffalo among Colorado districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
201450.6225 of 46151.2%★★★☆☆
201356.2199 of 45456.2%★★★☆☆
201259.5178 of 42558.1%★★★☆☆
201161.0168 of 42260.2%★★★☆☆
201047.5228 of 40944.3%★★☆☆☆
200973.483 of 37778.0%★★★★☆
200881.357 of 36284.3%★★★★☆
200776.775 of 36079.2%★★★★☆
200677.470 of 34679.8%★★★★☆
200574.685 of 34075.0%★★★★☆
200467.1107 of 33668.2%★★★☆☆
High school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202661.4123 of 34063.8%★★★☆☆
202548.7156 of 32852.4%★★★☆☆
202453.7148 of 34957.6%★★★☆☆
202354.5142 of 34959.3%★★★☆☆
202252.3100 of 22154.8%★★★☆☆
201953.4175 of 41157.4%★★★☆☆
201853.5160 of 38858.8%★★★☆☆
201473.091 of 36975.3%★★★★☆
201370.697 of 34972.2%★★★★☆
201249.3185 of 33444.6%★★☆☆☆
201174.578 of 33776.9%★★★★☆
201079.056 of 32782.9%★★★★☆
200969.797 of 31068.7%★★★☆☆
200878.752 of 30182.7%★★★★☆
200786.429 of 29890.3%★★★★★
200687.722 of 28692.3%★★★★★
200580.350 of 28082.1%★★★★☆
200484.140 of 27985.7%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202415.8199 of 22913.1%★☆☆☆☆
202340.1136 of 23441.9%★★☆☆☆
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)
High school
White (2024)13th percentile-44 vs school
By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?
Reading and Writing58%~ state avg
Mathematics15%-16 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Merino Junior Senior High School

Students at Merino Junior Senior High School are 86% White, 11% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Merino Junior Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Merino Elementary School

In the 2024-25 school year, 155 students attended Merino Junior Senior High School.

Merino Junior Senior High School ranks 123rd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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Schools in Merino, CO

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Latest Colorado data All new data »
2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026
2025–26 attendance dataOct 6, 2026
2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026
2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026


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

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