Merrill Area School District

Schools in the Merrill Area School District include six schools serving PK–12 students in and around Merrill, Wisconsin: two elementary, one middle, two high, and one alternative school, with total enrollment of 2,562 students. The district is ranked 213 of 432 in Wisconsin, at the 51st percentile with 3 stars, but school-level results vary widely.

Among standouts, Bridges Virtual Academy is the most unusual: an alternative PK–12 school with 674 students, chronic absenteeism of 1.2%, a 97.9% graduation rate, 10.83% free/reduced lunch, and $6,124 per-student spending—district extremes—while many 2025–2026 test scores beat district and state, although math is mixed. Merrill High, the largest school at 756 students, improved from 1 star in 2023–2024 to 3 stars in 2025–2026, with a 95.4% graduation rate and 0.5% dropout rate, but chronic absenteeism is 22.6%. Prairie River Middle is the clearest concern: 1 star for three straight years, 20.3% chronic absenteeism, and most 2025–2026 scores below district and state, especially 8th grade ELA (36.89). Washington Elementary improved to 3 stars and 52nd percentile, with strong 3rd grade ELA and math but weaker 4th grade math. Kate Goodrich Elementary serves K–2, has the highest free/reduced lunch (55.79%) and per-student spending ($18,481), and the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.5). Merrill Adult Diploma Academy, a 31-student 11–12 program, has a 43.4% graduation rate, 9.6% dropout rate, 30.0% chronic absenteeism, and 31:1 student-teacher ratio.

For parents, the district’s averages hide important differences: completion is strong at Merrill High and Bridges Virtual Academy, attendance is a concern at Merrill High and Prairie River Middle, and middle-grade math and social studies lag across the district. Spending does not map neatly onto outcomes, since the lowest-spending school has strong attendance/completion while the highest-spending early-grade school serves the highest free/reduced lunch population. As an alternative/virtual school, Bridges Virtual Academy results may reflect self-selection and small cohorts, so compare schools by grade level, program type, and student needs when choosing.