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Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Q: Is Mildred Merkley Elementary School a good school?

Mildred Merkley Elementary School ranks 378 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

378^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Mildred Merkley Elementary School is a K–5 school serving about 290 students in Highland, Indiana, a small town in the northwest corner of the state near Munster and Hammond, and it is one of four elementary schools in the School Town of Highland.

In 2025–2026, Merkley ranked 378th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools — 63rd percentile with 3 stars — the highest of the district's four elementary schools, ahead of Southridge Elementary School, Allen J Warren Elementary School, and Judith Morton Johnston Elementary. It is also the smallest of the four. Math is the standout: all-grade math proficiency was 51.32%, above the district's 46.07%, and it has topped the district in each of the last four reported years. Upper-grade English/language arts is strong (4th grade 47.92%, 5th grade 53.7%), and 5th-grade social studies jumped to 48.15% after 26.67% the year before. The clearer weak spots are 3rd-grade ELA at 34% and 5th-grade math at 38.89%, both below district and state, while science overall trails the district.

Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 17.7% in 2021–2022 to 8.8% in 2024–2025, well below the district (11.7%) and the state (16.7%). Spending is $10,683 per student, and the student-teacher ratio has risen from 17.6 to 21.4 in two years, with nearly half of students economically disadvantaged. Munster's Frank H Hammond Elementary School, Ernest R Elliott Elementary School, and James B Eads Elementary School rank far higher but serve fewer low-income students and have much smaller classes. Against similar-poverty schools such as Joseph Hess Elementary School and Longfellow New Technical Elementary School, Merkley posts much higher proficiency and far lower absenteeism.

290

Students ?

21.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,160

Per pupil spending ?

47.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

93.5%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

9340 Fifth St
Highland, IN 46322

(219) 922-5640

District: School Town of Highland

Students who attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Highland Middle School
High:	Highland High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.5%

White:

38.6%

African American:

9.0%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Mildred Merkley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 54th percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in School Town of Highland

✓Above the Indiana median (63rd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg47%

Indiana avg47%

378^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

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

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary Schools in the School Town of Highland

130^th of 374School Town of Highland among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	61.5	378 of 1015	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.3	413 of 1005	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	361 of 1011	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.1	457 of 1016	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.5	503 of 1020	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	328 of 1016	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.3	645 of 1031	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.6	502 of 1027	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.3	557 of 1033	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.7	483 of 1046	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.7	367 of 1040	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.5	468 of 1036	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.9	586 of 1035	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.4	516 of 1015	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	65.6	375 of 1025	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.7	289 of 1009	71.4%	★★★★☆
2009	76.3	199 of 1003	80.2%	★★★★☆
2008	80.8	125 of 996	87.4%	★★★★☆
2007	72.4	236 of 985	76.0%	★★★★☆
2006	79.7	140 of 961	85.4%	★★★★☆
2005	67.9	283 of 959	70.5%	★★★★☆
2004	70.3	78 of 326	76.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math51%

Social Studies48%~ state avg

English Language Arts45%

Science44%

2.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, January 17, 2014

As a 35 yaer resident of Highland who has had three children attend Elementry, Middle and High School in Highland, I am well aware of the wonderful and dedicated staff at Merkley. I tis a very good school and provides a quality educaiton. It encourages parental involvement and offers a wide range of programs and activities to enhance the overall educational experiecne. I would recomend the school. Close Quote

Schools Near Mildred Merkley Elementary 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)					ILEARN Math (2026)					ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mildred Merkley Elementary School	Public	K-5	9340 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5640	290	14	21.4	47.9%	112 (38.6%)	26 (9.0%)	129 (44.5%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	61.5	378^th of 1015 public elementary schools	62.8%		59.3	413^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.9%	35	34.0	47.9	53.7		45.4	60.0	56.3	38.9		51.3	43.8		43.8	48.2	93.5%		$10,160	$347	$9,813
Allen J Warren Elementary School	Public	K-5	2901 100th St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5660	308	15	21.2	48.7%	113 (36.7%)	60 (19.5%)	108 (35.1%)	14 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	57.9	421^st of 1015 public elementary schools	58.5%		59.2	417^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.5%	4	51.0	39.6	48.2		46.3	72.9	49.1	39.3		52.9	30.2		30.2	44.6	89.6%		$10,224	$343	$9,881
Southridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	9221 Johnston St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5650	439	20	22.5	42.4%	233 (53.1%)	36 (8.2%)	150 (34.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	60.3	389^th of 1015 public elementary schools	61.7%		64.6	342^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	66.0%	47	40.9	50.0	38.5		42.6	64.2	56.1	37.2		51.5	46.6		46.6	47.4	82.5%		$9,043	$300	$8,743
Beiriger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 N Lillian St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 924-4030	426	36	12.0	59.9%	177 (41.5%)	76 (17.8%)	153 (35.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.7%)	63.6	360^th of 1015 public elementary schools	64.5%		58.9	419^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.3%	59	34.6	50.8	46.0		43.8	50.4	63.1	44.0		52.1	51.5		51.5	50.7			$14,016	$1,369	$12,647
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8220 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-2428	383	16	24.7	46.2%	183 (47.8%)	31 (8.1%)	153 (39.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	43.6	590^th of 1015 public elementary schools	41.9%		51.3	494^th of 1005 public elementary schools	50.8%	96	34.2	27.3	28.0		29.3	63.4	47.0	44.0		50.3	37.9		37.9	34.0	86.5%		$9,380	$352	$9,027
Ernest R Elliott Elementary School	Public	K-5	8718 White Oak Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 838-5250	463	31	14.7	24.8%	261 (56.4%)	15 (3.2%)	146 (31.5%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	86.6	117^th of 1015 public elementary schools	88.5%		85.9	126^th of 1005 public elementary schools	87.5%	9	65.2	64.5	67.9		65.8	69.6	73.1	53.6		65.8	55.9		55.9	64.3	95%		$13,952	$369	$13,583
Frank H Hammond Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 Fran-Lin Pky	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	No	(219) 838-2060	620	41	15.0	16.6%	325 (52.4%)	46 (7.4%)	170 (27.4%)	43 (6.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	95.9	18^th of 1015 public elementary schools	98.2%		95.3	23^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	97.7%	5	79.1	66.7	73.6		73.1	88.6	86.1	76.4		83.6	67.6		67.6	74.6	92%		$12,376	$317	$12,059
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 N Jay St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-4488	477	39	12.2	55.1%	167 (35.0%)	111 (23.3%)	168 (35.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)								(n/a)															89.9%		$14,158	$1,352	$12,806
Joseph Hess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3640 Orchard Dr	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7355	611	36	16.8	50.2%	66 (10.8%)	249 (40.8%)	264 (43.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	10.1	934^th of 1015 public elementary schools	8.0%		9.8	922^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	8.3%	12	17.4	23.6	10.4	11.8	15.8	15.3	20.8	16.9	2.6	13.9	14.1	14.5	14.3	16.9	97.3%		$9,778	$1,330	$8,448
Longfellow New Technical Elementary School	Public	K-4	45th/Calhoun Sts	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-7004	483	25	19.3	97.1%	153 (31.7%)	154 (31.9%)	146 (30.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	5.4	992^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	2.3%		5.1	989^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.6%	3	4.0	14.6			9.4	12.1	11.8			11.9	12.8		12.8		75.3%		$17,428	$4,477	$12,951

Frequently Asked Questions about Mildred Merkley Elementary School

What district is Mildred Merkley Elementary School in?

School Town of Highland

How many students attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 290 students attended Mildred Merkley Elementary School.

Is Mildred Merkley Elementary School a good school?

Mildred Merkley Elementary School ranks 378^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Mildred Merkley Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Highland Middle School
High : Highland High School

What is the racial makeup of Mildred Merkley Elementary School?

Students at Mildred Merkley Elementary School are 44% Hispanic, 39% White, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Mildred Merkley Elementary School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 28, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 28, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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