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Merrill Park Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1390^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Merrill Park Elementary School is a public school in Saginaw, MI, serving 267 students in grades PK-5 within the Saginaw School District of the City of, where over 92% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Merrill Park faces significant challenges, most notably an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 68% for the 2024-2025 school year. This means the majority of students are missing substantial instructional time, which is more than double the state average and far higher than many nearby schools. For example, Handley School, also in the Saginaw district, has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 16.9%, while Shields Elementary in the Swan Valley School District sits at 9.9%. Even within its own district, Merrill Park's absenteeism is notably higher than Chester F Miller School (48.8%) and Kempton Elementary (41.6%). This attendance crisis is likely the primary driver of the school's low academic performance, with state rankings in the bottom 10-20% of Michigan elementary schools and M-Step proficiency rates dramatically below district and state averages across all subjects.

Despite these hurdles, there are signs of hope. Historical data shows Merrill Park was once highly effective at serving its African American students, ranking in the 71st percentile statewide for this group in 2018-2019. Additionally, the school spends a substantial $16,780 per student—more than high-performing Handley School ($14,273) and Hemmeter Elementary ($11,909) in the Saginaw Township Community Schools district—indicating resources are not the issue. The path forward for Merrill Park lies in tackling the root causes of absenteeism and building on past successes, as the existence of high-performing schools within the same district proves improvement is possible.

267

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,780

Per pupil spending ?

92.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1800 Grout St
Saginaw, MI 48602-1034

(989) 399-4800

District: Saginaw School District of the City of

Students who attend Merrill Park Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thompson Middle School
High:	Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
	Saginaw United High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.9%

White:

19.9%

Hispanic:

19.5%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2015 → 7th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (12% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (68% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg20%

Michigan avg38%

1,390^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Saginaw School District of the City of

493^rd of 625Saginaw School District of the City of 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	9.1	1390 of 1492	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.9	1339 of 1488	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	1393 of 1486	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.9	1315 of 1470	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	5.4	1299 of 1344	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.3	1161 of 1408	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	1156 of 1448	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.2	1172 of 1466	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.3	1215 of 1548	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.0	1295 of 1580	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.5	1383 of 1533	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.3	1464 of 1563	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.7	1513 of 1566	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	18.3	1403 of 1552	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	10.6	1482 of 1552	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	14.6	1462 of 1589	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	23.5	1386 of 1577	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.8	1207 of 1565	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	56.9	805 of 1545	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2019	63.8	62 of 212	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	54.8	169 of 475	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	7.6	1278 of 1342	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.3	1229 of 1321	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1152 of 1443	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.9	1244 of 1352	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.0	1190 of 1346	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	1282 of 1381	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.6	1170 of 1350	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	1053 of 1099	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.7	821 of 1134	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.1	922 of 1397	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	5.9	1349 of 1372	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.1	1224 of 1366	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	1290 of 1347	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.9	1248 of 1334	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	872 of 1196	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.2	1088 of 1446	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	32.1	843 of 1206	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2019)71st percentile+53 vs school

White (2025)30th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile~ school

Female (2024)5th percentile~ school

Male (2026)2nd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts16%-25 vs state

Science10%-30 vs state

Social Studies10%-17 vs state

Math10%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near Merrill Park 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 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 Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th 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 Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Grout St	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-4800	267	13	20.5	92.5%	53 (19.9%)	128 (47.9%)	52 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	33 (12.4%)	9.1	1390^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.8%		10.9	1339^th of 1488 public elementary schools	10.0%	51	10.5	10.3	26.3	13.2	7.7	7.9	10.5	10.5	$16,780	$2,966	$13,814
Westdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	705 S Center Rd	Saginaw	48638	Saginaw County	Saginaw Township Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 797-1827	313	19	16.6	69.0%	113 (36.1%)	90 (28.8%)	75 (24.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.5%)								(n/a)									$14,211	$1,669	$12,542
Jessie Rouse School	Public	PK, KG-5	435 Randolph St	Saginaw	48601	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-5000	230	13	17.6	91.7%	24 (10.4%)	166 (72.2%)	32 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.7%)	6.1	1459^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.2%					(n/a)	7.5	9.1	16.7	1253.7	1351.6	1466.2	12.5	1463.5	$17,462	$3,342	$14,120
Chester F Miller School	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 Brockway St	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-4850	247	15	16.4	89.9%	62 (25.1%)	100 (40.5%)	59 (23.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.3%)	11.7	1334^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.6%		23	1111^th of 1488 public elementary schools	25.3%	223	10.6	20.5	13.5	12.8	25.0	1465.2	1472.1	1469.1	$17,994	$3,817	$14,177
Handley School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Passolt St	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 399-4250	370	18	20.5	42.7%	144 (38.9%)	111 (30.0%)	32 (8.6%)	48 (13.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.9%)	96.8	31^st of 1492 public elementary schools	97.9%		97.1	23^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	98.5%	8	87.0	84.5	74.5	94.4	70.7	60.8	66.7	66.7	$14,273	$1,350	$12,923
Herig School	Public	PK, KG-5	1905 Houghton Ave	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-4350	282	11	25.6	94.0%	59 (20.9%)	148 (52.5%)	50 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (8.2%)	11.6	1340^th of 1492 public elementary schools	10.2%		5.4	1460^th of 1488 public elementary schools	1.9%	120	1261.6	1364.7	15.2	1264.7	8.9	1460.7	23.9	1468.3	$18,509	$5,006	$13,503
Arrowwood Elementary School	Public	3-5	5410 Seidel Rd	Saginaw	48638	Saginaw County	Saginaw Township Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 797-1835	445	26	16.9	58.7%	194 (43.6%)	98 (22.0%)	107 (24.0%)	13 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.4%)	22.3	1136^th of 1492 public elementary schools	23.9%		23.7	1099^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.1%	37	27.9	28.7	26.7	27.7	25.2	15.6	24.4	12.6	$14,245	$917	$13,328
Hemmeter Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1890 Hemmeter Rd	Saginaw	48638	Saginaw County	Saginaw Township Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 797-1832	331	16	20.0	12.4%	256 (77.3%)	9 (2.7%)	31 (9.4%)	22 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.9%)	98.9	6^th of 1492 public elementary schools	99.6%		98.9	4^th of 1488 public elementary schools	99.7%	2	89.7	89.7	94.8	94.8	89.7	72.4	87.9	55.2	$11,909	$745	$11,164
Kempton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3040 Davenport Ave	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-4600	279	17	16.4	88.9%	80 (28.7%)	182 (65.2%)	11 (3.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.4%)	12.8	1315^th of 1492 public elementary schools	11.9%		8.5	1384^th of 1488 public elementary schools	7.0%	69	21.1	31.7	8.2	15.8	17.1	1455.8	6.1	1465.1	$18,742	$4,998	$13,744
Stone School	Public	PK, KG-5	1006 State St	Saginaw	48602	Saginaw County	Saginaw School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 399-5100	273	16	17.6	91.2%	45 (16.5%)	157 (57.5%)	53 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	15 (5.5%)	5.8	1465^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.8%		6.5	1437^th of 1488 public elementary schools	3.4%	28	8.3	10.5	12.1	1265.5	1364.0	1462.0	12.1	1468.4	$18,685	$4,050	$14,635

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill Park Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Merrill Park Elementary School?

Students at Merrill Park Elementary School are 48% African American, 20% White, 19% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races.

What district is Merrill Park Elementary School in?

Saginaw School District of the City of

Is Merrill Park Elementary School a good school?

Merrill Park Elementary School ranks in the bottom 6.8% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Merrill Park Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 267 students attended Merrill Park Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Merrill Park Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Thompson Middle School
High : Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
High : Saginaw United High School

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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.