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Merrimack Valley Middle School

Q: Is Merrimack Valley Middle School a good school?

Merrimack Valley Middle School ranks 81 st of 132 New Hampshire middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

81^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 132 New Hampshire Middle Schools

Better than 39% of New Hampshire middle schools

Summary

Merrimack Valley Middle School is a public middle school located in Penacook, New Hampshire, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 479 students. The school is part of the Merrimack Valley School District, which is ranked 88 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Merrimack Valley Middle School's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in the NH SAS assessments, is generally below the state average across all grades and subjects. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 39% in Mathematics, 50% in Reading, and 31% in Science, compared to the state averages of 42%, 55%, and 38%, respectively. The school's performance has been relatively consistent over the past few years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 67th to 97th out of around 130 middle schools in New Hampshire. Interestingly, the nearby Belmont Middle School and Bow Memorial School have significantly higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings compared to Merrimack Valley Middle School.

Merrimack Valley Middle School's relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 19.5% to 25.64% over the past few years, may be contributing to the school's below-average academic performance. In contrast, Bow Memorial School, which is located within 9 miles of Merrimack Valley Middle School, has a much lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (5.28%) and significantly higher academic performance. Additionally, the school's performance for special education students is particularly concerning, ranking 39th out of 51 middle schools in the state for the 2024-2025 school year, with a 1-star rating.

466

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,978

Per pupil spending ?

32.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14 Allen St.
Penacook, NH 03303-1645

(603) 753-6336

District: Merrimack Valley School District

Students who attend Merrimack Valley Middle School usually attend:

High:

Merrimack Valley High School

Feeder schools for Merrimack Valley Middle School:

Elementary:	Boscawen Elementary School
	Loudon Elementary School
	Penacook Elementary School
	Salisbury Elementary School
	More...
	Webster Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Hispanic:

3.9%

Two or more races:

3.2%

See top rated New Hampshire middle schools

Compare Merrimack Valley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 48th percentile in 2022 → 39th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Hampshire average (40% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 48th-percentile peak (2022) to 39th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg42%

New Hampshire avg45%

81^st of 132

New Hampshire public middle schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 24% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

88^th of 158Merrimack Valley School District among New Hampshire 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	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	41.3	81 of 132	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	94 of 130	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.8	94 of 134	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.3	67 of 130	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.4	91 of 125	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	97 of 128	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	109 of 131	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.7	95 of 125	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.9	89 of 134	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.5	81 of 107	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	33.8	95 of 132	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.7	102 of 131	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.9	98 of 131	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.1	97 of 128	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	32.1	93 of 127	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.0	107 of 127	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.1	97 of 129	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	31.1	92 of 125	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	38.5	80 of 126	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	64 of 112	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	72 of 110	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.1	80 of 114	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.3	59 of 115	48.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	24.2	90 of 113	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.7	84 of 114	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	84 of 116	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	34.5	81 of 116	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	82 of 113	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	79 of 117	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	57 of 117	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.0	77 of 116	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.0	87 of 113	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.9	97 of 114	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	39 of 51	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	39 of 48	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.1	24 of 47	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.7	42 of 48	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.8	38 of 49	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	40.4	81 of 131	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.6	93 of 128	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	98 of 132	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.6	76 of 129	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.5	90 of 123	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.5	94 of 126	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	110 of 129	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)43rd percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)38th percentile~ school

Male (2025)30th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2025)24th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2024-2025) ?

Reading50%-5 vs state

Mathematics39%-3 vs state

Science31%-7 vs state

3.0

1 rating

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1★0

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Schools Near Merrimack Valley Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NH SAS Mathematics (2025)						NH SAS Reading (2025)						NH SAS Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NH SAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 7th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading 4th Grade	NH SAS Reading 5th Grade	NH SAS Reading 6th Grade	NH SAS Reading 7th Grade	NH SAS Reading 8th Grade	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 5th Grade	NH SAS Science 8th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Merrimack Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	14 Allen St.	Penacook	03303	Merrimack County	Merrimack Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 753-6336	466	45	10.3	32.2%	415 (89.1%)	8 (1.7%)	18 (3.9%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	41.3	81^st of 132 public middle schools	38.6%		31.3	94^th of 130 public middle schools	27.7%	13			41.0	41.0	36.0	39.0			51.0	52.0	46.0	50.0		31.0	31.0	$16,978
Rundlett Middle School	Public	6-8	144 South St.	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0862	767	69	11.1	33.9%	589 (76.8%)	74 (9.6%)	31 (4.0%)	47 (6.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	52.1	62^nd of 132 public middle schools	53.0%		37.1	85^th of 130 public middle schools	34.6%	23			41.0	39.0	42.0	41.0			53.0	55.0	57.0	55.0		42.0	42.0	$16,417
Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School (M)	Public, Charter	6-8	157 Chichester Rd	Loudon	03307	Merrimack County	Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(603) 325-7688	52	4	12.0	7.7%	47 (90.4%)	2 (3.8%)	2 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)								(n/a)
Hopkinton Middle School	Public	7-8	297 Park Ave.	Contoocook	03229	Merrimack County	Hopkinton School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 746-4167	165	16	10.5	4.8%	147 (89.1%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.6%)	87.3	12^th of 132 public middle schools	90.9%		76.2	23^rd of 130 public middle schools	82.3%	11				69.0	56.0	61.0				78.0	74.0	76.0		50.0	50.0	$17,820
Maple Street Elementary School	Public	4-6	194 Maple St.	Contoocook	03229	Merrimack County	Hopkinton School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 746-4195	219	19	11.5	10.0%	192 (87.7%)	3 (1.4%)	8 (3.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	14 (6.4%)								(n/a)	67.0	48.0	79.0			66.0	63.0	76.0	89.0			76.0	56.0		56.0	$20,503
Bow Memorial School	Public	5-8	20 Bow Center Rd.	Bow	03304	Merrimack County	Bow School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 225-3212	524	31	16.9	3.6%	479 (91.4%)	3 (0.6%)	16 (3.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (4.0%)	72.4	26^th of 132 public middle schools	80.3%		72.6	30^th of 130 public middle schools	76.9%	4		64.0	53.0	47.0	48.0	52.0		69.0	77.0	71.0	62.0	69.0	59.0	42.0	49.0	$16,836
Three Rivers School	Public	5-8	243 Academy Rd.	Pembroke	03275	Merrimack County	Pembroke School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 485-9539	289	29	9.9	19.7%	255 (88.2%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (4.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.2%)	54.9	53^rd of 132 public middle schools	59.8%		46.9	61^st of 130 public middle schools	53.1%	8		53.0	21.0	47.0	48.0	42.0		58.0	51.0	65.0	52.0	57.0	37.0	48.0	43.0	$16,396
Winnisquam Regional Middle School	Public	5-8	76 Winter St.	Tilton	03276	Belknap County	Winnisquam Regional School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 286-7143	361	28	12.8	37.4%	318 (88.1%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.4%)	6 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.8%)	36.3	88^th of 132 public middle schools	33.3%		36.1	88^th of 130 public middle schools	32.3%			50.0	51.0	38.0	32.0	42.0		41.0	47.0	39.0	38.0	41.0	26.0	35.0	31.0	$17,312
Franklin Middle School	Public	4-8	200 Sanborn St.	Franklin	03235	Merrimack County	Franklin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 934-5828	301	27	10.9	67.1%	258 (85.7%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (9.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	9.7	124^th of 132 public middle schools	6.1%		6.8	126^th of 130 public middle schools	3.1%	2	22.0				20.0	13.0	22.0	23.0	20.0	18.0	23.0	21.0	13.0	30.0	22.0	$17,008
Belmont Middle School	Public	5-8	38 School St.	Belmont	03220	Belknap County	Shaker Regional School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 267-9220	350	32	11.0	29.7%	321 (91.7%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.0%)	53.9	57^th of 132 public middle schools	56.8%		65.8	35^th of 130 public middle schools	73.1%	22		43.0	48.0	58.0	31.0	45.0		69.0	55.0	67.0	49.0	60.0	36.0	32.0	34.0	$17,773

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrimack Valley Middle School

How many students attend Merrimack Valley Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 466 students attended Merrimack Valley Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Merrimack Valley Middle School?

Students at Merrimack Valley Middle School are 89% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.

Is Merrimack Valley Middle School a good school?

Merrimack Valley Middle School ranks 81^st of 132 New Hampshire middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Merrimack Valley Middle School attend?

Students who attend Merrimack Valley Middle School usually go on to attend Merrimack Valley High School

What district is Merrimack Valley Middle School in?

Merrimack Valley School District

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