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Merkel Elementary

Q: Is Merkel Elementary a good school?

Merkel Elementary ranks 3250 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3250^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Merkel Elementary is a PK-5 school in the small town of Merkel, TX, serving 563 students within the Merkel Independent School District (Isd).

This school presents a fascinating mix of strengths and challenges. A standout feature is its exceptional performance in 5th grade math and science, where students significantly outperform the state average and nearby schools like Ortiz Elementary. However, this success is puzzling when compared to a dramatic weakness in 4th grade math, where proficiency rates are nearly 20 points below the state average. This "math valley" suggests a potential instructional gap at the 4th-grade level that the school should investigate. On a positive note, the school is remarkably effective with its Special Education students, ranking in the 71st percentile statewide, which is a testament to its support systems. It also achieves these results with lower per-student spending than most nearby schools, including those in the Abilene Independent School District (Isd), and maintains a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.7:1.

Despite these bright spots, the school has experienced a sharp overall decline in recent years, dropping from the 70th percentile to the 30th percentile. This systemic issue affects nearly all student groups, including its core populations. While the school excels with Special Education students, it struggles to serve its primary demographic groups effectively. This recent downturn is a key concern for parents to consider, as it suggests the school may be facing challenges that need to be addressed to return to its previous levels of performance.

563

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,248

Per pupil spending ?

49.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1602 Sth 5th
Merkel, TX 79536

(325) 928-4795

District: Merkel Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Merkel Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Merkel Middle
High:	Merkel High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.7%

Hispanic:

24.5%

Two or more races:

3.0%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 70th percentile in 2021 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 70th-percentile peak (2021) to 30th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Texas avg51%

3,250^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 8 pts since 2017

From bottom 22% (2017) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

535^th of 951Merkel Independent School District (Isd) among Texas 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	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	3250 of 4627	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.2	2248 of 4651	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.7	2746 of 4710	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.5	2388 of 4647	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	2266 of 4581	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.2	1369 of 4578	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	46.8	2237 of 4479	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.9	3071 of 4359	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.2	3397 of 4329	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	26.7	3696 of 4461	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.3	2035 of 4331	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.5	2006 of 4295	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.5	3537 of 4240	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	7.7	3637 of 3668	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	3099 of 4575	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.9	1803 of 3744	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	2468 of 4658	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.8	2862 of 4588	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	2588 of 4561	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.2	1541 of 4499	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.0	2219 of 4348	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.9	3315 of 4306	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	2949 of 3075	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	77.8	14 of 2980	99.5%	★★★★★
2022	36.5	2316 of 2958	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	63.7	1246 of 3006	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.0	1111 of 3184	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.9	2230 of 3106	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	3807 of 4413	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.1	2143 of 3644	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	2663 of 4465	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.0	2632 of 4401	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.9	2632 of 4376	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.7	1131 of 4329	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	48.4	2104 of 4188	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.0	3529 of 4168	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	3613 of 4520	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.6	2154 of 3705	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	2637 of 4594	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	1898 of 4521	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	2379 of 4477	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	70.2	836 of 4451	81.2%	★★★★☆
2019	55.8	1648 of 4309	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.5	2735 of 4264	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	3318 of 4582	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	55.2	1480 of 3739	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.6	2458 of 4647	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.6	1878 of 4585	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	1843 of 4563	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.9	1162 of 4498	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	46.9	2197 of 4357	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.2	2757 of 4319	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	2411 of 4301	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.4	1040 of 3549	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	44.6	2254 of 4292	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.6	2934 of 4086	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.3	1547 of 3952	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.9	801 of 3799	78.9%	★★★★☆
2019	39.7	2086 of 3684	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	2415 of 3558	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	21.6	2627 of 3006	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.0	1740 of 2612	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.7	2408 of 3108	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.7	2209 of 3106	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.2	2220 of 3082	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.4	1692 of 3082	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.6	2381 of 3142	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.9	2723 of 3127	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)

Special Education (2026)44th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)28th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)20th percentile-10 vs school

At Risk (2022)17th percentile-33 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)13th percentile-17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)4th percentile-26 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)1st percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading41%-13 vs state

Mathematics38%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Merkel Elementary

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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)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)		STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (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	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Merkel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1602 Sth 5th	Merkel	79536	Taylor County	Merkel Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 928-4795	563	41	13.7	49.2%	398 (70.7%)	6 (1.1%)	138 (24.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	32.6	3250^th of 4627 public elementary schools	29.8%		48.2	2248^th of 4651 public elementary schools	51.7%	1002						38.5	31.2	52.9	39.4	22.1	50.6	$7,248
Dyess Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6733 Jennings Dr	Abilene	79607	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3795	621	37	16.9	66.0%	254 (40.9%)	77 (12.4%)	210 (33.8%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	64 (10.3%)	37.4	2921^st of 4627 public elementary schools	36.9%		42.2	2625^th of 4651 public elementary schools	43.6%	296						47.8	39.4	55.3	40.0	36.4	38.2	$7,926
Bassetti Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5749 Hwy 277 S	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3720	546	36	15.1	71.6%	175 (32.1%)	85 (15.6%)	215 (39.4%)	18 (3.3%)	7 (1.3%)	5 (0.9%)	41 (7.5%)	26.5	3657^th of 4627 public elementary schools	21.0%		40.4	2744^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.0%	913						25.3	57.5	49.3	23.3	34.2	30.4	$8,679
Stafford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1026 N Pioneer Dr	Abilene	79603	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 671-4895	473	30	15.6	85.4%	128 (27.1%)	62 (13.1%)	257 (54.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	40.9	2667^th of 4627 public elementary schools	42.4%		42.2	2628^th of 4651 public elementary schools	43.5%	39						44.6	37.2	50.5	39.1	40.7	55.2	$9,965
Bonham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	717 Buccaneer Dr	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 690-3745	481	34	14.0	77.8%	158 (32.8%)	56 (11.6%)	243 (50.5%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.0%)	36.2	3004^th of 4627 public elementary schools	35.1%		38.7	2867^th of 4651 public elementary schools	38.4%	137						40.0	38.0	62.2	27.1	42.3	44.6	$10,293
Purcell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3633 N 14th St	Abilene	79603	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 671-4845	537	34	15.6	80.4%	118 (22.0%)	83 (15.5%)	310 (57.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	29.3	3471^st of 4627 public elementary schools	25.0%		36.7	3004^th of 4651 public elementary schools	35.4%	467						44.3	46.2	45.1	33.0	39.7	24.2	$7,964
Austin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2341 Greenbriar Dr	Abilene	79605	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 690-3920	729	43	17.1	52.8%	367 (50.3%)	51 (7.0%)	259 (35.5%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.6%)	43.3	2500^th of 4627 public elementary schools	46.0%		59.5	1602^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	65.6%	898						45.2	58.9	50.8	38.3	36.2	44.3	$8,294
Ward Elementary	Public	K-5	3750 Paint Brush	Abilene	79606	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(325) 690-3666	502	33	15.3	57.8%	196 (39.0%)	64 (12.7%)	196 (39.0%)	20 (4.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	43.1	2505^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.9%		51.1	2072^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	55.5%	433						52.1	42.1	58.3	39.6	46.6	33.3	$8,393
Ortiz Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2550 Vogel	Abilene	79603	Taylor County	Abilene Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 671-4945	523	36	14.6	91.0%	35 (6.7%)	63 (12.0%)	408 (78.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	10.2	4479^th of 4627 public elementary schools	3.2%		13.8	4341^st of 4651 public elementary schools	6.7%	138	20.0	22.2	24.1	8.3	0.0	27.3	32.2	29.6	23.2	22.6	22.6	$9,388
Hawley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	420 Ave H	Hawley	79525	Jones County	Hawley Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(325) 537-2721	358	38	9.4	47.5%	248 (69.3%)	2 (0.6%)	91 (25.4%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	33.9	3158^th of 4627 public elementary schools	31.7%		26.1	3666^th of 4651 public elementary schools	21.2%	508						45.1	34.9	47.8	43.1	36.5	42.0	$8,841

Frequently Asked Questions about Merkel Elementary

What schools do graduates of Merkel Elementary attend?

Students who attend Merkel Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Merkel Middle
High : Merkel High School

Is Merkel Elementary a good school?

Merkel Elementary ranks 3250^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Merkel Elementary in?

Merkel Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Merkel Elementary?

Students at Merkel Elementary are 71% White, 25% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Merkel Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 563 students attended Merkel Elementary.

Rate Merkel Elementary!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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

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.