Best Public Schools in Zip Code 79536

The 79536 zip code area is home to three schools - Merkel Elementary, Merkel High School, and Merkel Middle - all part of the Merkel Independent School District (Isd). While Merkel Elementary struggles with academic performance, Merkel High School and Merkel Middle show stronger results in certain areas, particularly in graduation rates, STAAR Science, and STAAR Reading.

Merkel High School stands out with a relatively small enrollment of 295 students, a high 4-year graduation rate of 97.6%, and a low dropout rate of 0.4%. The school also performs above the district and state averages in several STAAR EOC exams, particularly in Biology and English II Reading. Merkel Middle, with an enrollment of 242 students, excels in STAAR Reading for 8th grade and STAAR Science for 8th grade, with 66.23% proficiency compared to the state average of 46.25%.

Across all three schools, there is a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44.63% to 56.03%, suggesting a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students in the district. The district appears to be allocating resources to address these challenges, with spending per student ranging from $8,590 at Merkel Elementary to $11,879 at Merkel High School, and student-teacher ratios that are relatively low, ranging from 8.6 at Merkel High School to 14.8 at Merkel Elementary.