Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Merrill Elementary School

Q: Is Merrill Elementary School a good school?

Merrill Elementary School ranks 617 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

617^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 59% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Merrill Elementary School in Merrill, MI, is a small school serving 196 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the Merrill Community Schools district, and it has recently earned a 3-star rating after improving from 2 stars the previous year.

One of the most notable things about Merrill Elementary is its significant investment in students. The school spends $17,641 per student, which is thousands more than nearby schools like Freeland Elementary School ($11,698) or Robert B Havens Elementary School ($13,122). This higher spending supports a very low student-teacher ratio of 10.7 to 1, meaning your child is likely to receive more individualized attention than at many surrounding schools, which typically have ratios between 14 and 20 students per teacher. The school also serves a population where about 59% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate similar to Breckenridge Elementary School (67%) and St Charles Elementary School (72%), but much higher than more affluent districts like Freeland Community School District (21%).

Despite these challenges, Merrill Elementary shows some real strengths. In the most recent school year, its economically disadvantaged students performed better (61st percentile) than the school's overall ranking (59th percentile), suggesting the school is particularly effective at supporting students from lower-income backgrounds. However, chronic absenteeism is a major concern—26.6% of students miss significant school time, a rate far higher than nearby KC Ling Elementary School (7.4%) or Bullock Creek Elementary School (6.1%). Test scores also vary widely by grade level; for example, 3rd graders recently outperformed state averages in math, while 4th graders fell well below. This volatility is common in small schools where a single class can dramatically shift results, but it's worth asking the school about how they support students through these transitions.

196

Students ?

10.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,641

Per pupil spending ?

59.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

345 W Alice St
Merrill, MI 48637-8755

(989) 643-7283

District: Merrill Community Schools

Students who attend Merrill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrill Middle School
High:	Merrill High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.4%

African American:

2.6%

Hispanic:

2.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Merrill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 61st percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (59th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Michigan avg38%

617^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

306^th of 625Merrill Community Schools among Michigan 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	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	617 of 1492	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.0	751 of 1488	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.3	692 of 1486	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.8	954 of 1470	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	698 of 1344	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	599 of 1153	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.7	1028 of 1408	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.5	1075 of 1448	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	45.2	759 of 1466	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	60.6	597 of 1548	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.7	615 of 1580	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.3	607 of 1533	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.4	605 of 1563	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	46.6	916 of 1566	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.3	802 of 1552	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	66.8	634 of 1552	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	72.7	416 of 1589	73.8%	★★★★☆
2008	73.6	377 of 1577	76.1%	★★★★☆
2007	73.7	339 of 1565	78.3%	★★★★☆
2006	67.1	528 of 1545	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	699 of 1343	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.7	744 of 1338	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.8	590 of 1342	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.0	717 of 1321	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.4	560 of 1106	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	485 of 902	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.0	953 of 1171	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.6	1041 of 1443	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	523 of 1352	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.4	685 of 1346	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.7	553 of 1381	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.7	949 of 1350	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	59.1	387 of 1099	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.1	156 of 749	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	38.9	723 of 1134	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.5	1065 of 1397	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	54.1	588 of 1372	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	720 of 1366	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	790 of 1347	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.9	1094 of 1334	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	899 of 1139	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	749 of 915	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.4	896 of 1196	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	1052 of 1446	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	691 of 1199	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.4	804 of 1206	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	762 of 1204	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1021 of 1198	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.0	757 of 1102	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	620 of 1005	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1012 of 1128	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	1091 of 1253	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)61st percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)57th percentile~ school

Female (2026)48th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)42nd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science49%+9 vs state

English Language Arts40%~ state avg

Math38%~ state avg

Social Studies38%+10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Merrill Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Merrill Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Merrill Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	345 W Alice St	Merrill	48637	Saginaw County	Merrill Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 643-7283	196	18	10.7	59.2%	185 (94.4%)	5 (2.6%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.6	617^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.6%		48	751^st of 1488 public elementary schools	49.5%	134	41.9	28.6	45.9		51.6	25.0	36.1		48.6	37.8	$17,641	$2,738	$14,903
KC Ling Elementary School	Public	1-4	835 N Pine St	Hemlock	48626	Saginaw County	Hemlock Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 642-5235	365	21	17.2	29.9%	332 (91.0%)	3 (0.8%)	21 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	59.8	559^th of 1492 public elementary schools	62.5%		62.6	529^th of 1488 public elementary schools	64.4%	30	42.5	45.5			52.5	40.6					$13,251	$1,319	$11,932
Hemlock Elementary School	Public	PK-K	200 Wilson St	Hemlock	48626	Saginaw County	Hemlock Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 642-5221	129	11	11.8	32.6%	119 (92.2%)	1 (0.8%)	5 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)								(n/a)											$14,382	$1,467	$12,915
Breckenridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	515 E Summit St	Breckenridge	48615	Gratiot County	Breckenridge Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 842-3182	324	16	19.9	66.7%	305 (94.1%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	49.5	702^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	52.9%		59.2	573^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	61.5%	129	49.2	38.3	34.6		47.6	45.0	25.0		36.5	23.1	$13,033	$1,356	$11,677
St Charles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	801 W Walnut St	Saint Charles	48655	Saginaw County	St. Charles Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 865-9210	317	22	14.5	71.9%	293 (92.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	39.6	868^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.8%		58.5	587^th of 1488 public elementary schools	60.6%	281	38.7	14.6	42.9	46.3	41.9	18.8	23.3	31.7	34.9	16.7	$14,067	$1,563	$12,504
Robert B Havens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	457 Van Wormer Rd	Saginaw	48609	Saginaw County	Swan Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 921-4201	390	21	18.4	32.6%	295 (75.6%)	5 (1.3%)	64 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.7%)	83.3	226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.9%		88.2	152^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	89.8%	74	57.9	71.5	65.1		64.7	56.9	41.9		54.3	42.6	$13,122	$790	$12,332
Bullock Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1037 S Poseyville Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 832-8691	303	18	16.5	30.7%	280 (92.4%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.6%)								(n/a)											$14,095	$987	$13,107
Floyd School	Public	K-5	725 S 8 Mile Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 832-2081	306	22	13.9	56.2%	296 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	46.4	755^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.4%		63.7	509^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.8%	246	34.0	40.9	40.8		40.0	34.1	36.7		42.9	20.4	$16,528	$1,934	$14,594
Pine River Elementary School	Public	3-5	1894 E Pine River Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 631-5121	254	13	19.6	18.5%	234 (92.1%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	85.1	194^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.0%		85.3	201^st of 1488 public elementary schools	86.5%	7	62.9	67.1	52.9		71.9	73.8	48.3		54.0	41.4	$13,102	$1,018	$12,085
Freeland Elementary School	Public	2-6	710 Powley Dr	Freeland	48623	Saginaw County	Freeland Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 695-5371	755	40	18.8	21.1%	658 (87.2%)	12 (1.6%)	45 (6.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.5%)	84.4	212^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.8%		90	118^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.1%	94	55.6	53.9	59.3	57.3	68.8	63.2	48.3	56.0	60.7	39.3	$11,698	$367	$11,331

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Merrill Elementary School?

Students at Merrill Elementary School are 94% White, 3% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Merrill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Merrill Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Merrill Middle School
High : Merrill High School

What district is Merrill Elementary School in?

Merrill Community Schools

Is Merrill Elementary School a good school?

Merrill Elementary School ranks 617^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Merrill Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 196 students attended Merrill Elementary School.

Rate Merrill Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Merrill, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Merrill Elementary School!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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