Summary:
Merrill Community Schools is a small, rural district in Merrill, Michigan, serving 458 students across three schools: Merrill Elementary School (PK-5), Merrill Middle School (6-8), and Merrill High School (9-12). The district ranks in the 51st percentile statewide with a 3-star rating, and roughly half of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Merrill Elementary School is the district’s academic anchor, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 59th percentile. Its 3rd graders outperform state averages in both math (51.6% vs. 42.9%) and ELA (41.9% vs. 38.2%), and 5th graders exceed state science proficiency (48.6% vs. 40.0%). However, a dramatic "4th grade slump" is evident—proficiency plunges to 28.6% in ELA and 25.0% in math, both well below state averages, before rebounding in 5th grade. Merrill High School is the district’s turnaround story, jumping from the 16th percentile (1 star) in 2023-2024 to the 57th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026—a gain of 280 ranking spots. Still, 11th graders lag the state in SAT Reading/Writing (44.7% vs. 52.1%) while matching state math proficiency (26.3% vs. 26.5%). The high school also posts a strong 83.7% graduation rate and a 4.6% dropout rate, far better than the state’s 7.1%.
Merrill Middle School is the district’s weakest link, holding a 2-star rating and ranking in the 37th percentile. Its 8th-grade PSAT math proficiency is a catastrophic 7.3%—down from 16.1% the prior year—meaning over 92% of 8th graders miss the college-readiness benchmark. This systemic math failure contrasts sharply with the elementary school’s early success and threatens to undermine the high school’s recent gains. The middle school also spends the most per pupil ($18,388) yet produces the worst outcomes, suggesting funds are not translating into results. Chronic absenteeism (25-27% across all schools) is a hidden crisis, affecting roughly one in four students district-wide. While spending is high ($14,378-$18,388 per student), the return is uneven, and addressing attendance and the middle school math pipeline may be the most impactful levers for improvement.
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