Best Public Schools in Merrillan, WI

Merrillan, Wisconsin has one listed school, Lincoln Elementary, an elementary school serving grades PK–6 with 339 students in the Alma Center School District. The school spends $14,103 per student, has a 12.6 student-teacher ratio, and serves a population where 58.7% qualify for free/reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism is 10.7%, better than Wisconsin’s 17.3% but above the district’s 9.6%. In 2025–26, the school ranked 745 of 1,039 schools, at the 28th percentile with 1 star; the district ranked 369 of 432, at the 15th percentile with 1 star. Rank history dipped from 41st percentile and 2 stars in 2023–24 to 23rd percentile and 1 star in 2024–25, then to 28th percentile and 1 star in 2025–26.

Test performance is uneven and mostly below state averages. In 2025–26, 6th grade math was the only score above state: 55.56% versus 53.60%, while 6th grade ELA was below state: 52.78% versus 54.95%. Other grades trailed, including 4th grade ELA at 34.21% versus 53.87%, 4th grade math at 36.84% versus 52.87%, and 5th grade ELA at 40.43% versus 53.63%. In 2024–25, 6th grade was a bright spot: math was 90% versus 52.98%, and ELA was 73.33% versus 53.66%. Year over year, 5th grade ELA rose 16.11 points, 5th grade math rose 12.82 points, and 4th grade science rose 19.39 points to 50.00%, but 6th grade math fell 34.44 points and ELA fell 20.55 points. An unweighted average across tests was about 45.45% in 2025–26 versus about 54.65% for the state, up from about 43.37% versus 53.83% in 2024–25, though not an official score.

For parents, the school shows strengths but remains below state averages. Chronic absenteeism is a relative strength, and 6th grade has produced standout results, especially in 2024–25 math. Improvement in 5th grade and 4th grade science is encouraging. However, large year-to-year swings are likely because grade-level cohorts are small, and most grades trail Wisconsin. The school’s 28th percentile rank is higher than the district’s 15th percentile, but both remain in the lower quartile. Despite high free/reduced lunch and favorable spending and class size, broader academic gains are needed.