Summary:
The Merrill Area School District in Wisconsin operates 7 schools, including 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district shows a mix of strengths and challenges, with one standout school, Bridges Virtual Academy, consistently outperforming the district and state averages on test scores, while the other schools generally underperform.
While Bridges Virtual Academy excels, the district struggles with lower test scores, high chronic absenteeism rates, and significant socioeconomic disparities between schools. For instance, in 2024-2025, only 44.91% of 10th graders at Merrill High were proficient or better in Social Studies, compared to the state average of 47.67%. However, all the high schools in the district, including the alternative Merrill Adult Diploma Academy, have similar graduation rates (around 91%) and low dropout rates (around 1.3%) for the 2023-2024 school year.
One bright spot is Kate Goodrich Elementary, which has seen a significant improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from the bottom quartile in 2017-2018 to the top third of Wisconsin elementary schools in 2020-2021. The district's spending per student also varies, from $9,183 at Bridges Virtual Academy to $15,898 at Pine River School for Young Learners, with a district average of $12,446 per student, slightly higher than the state average.
Thank you for your feedback!