Summary:
The Merrill Area School District in Wisconsin is home to three elementary schools: Kate Goodrich Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Pine River School for Young Learners (PRSYL). These schools serve students from prekindergarten through fifth grade and provide a range of educational opportunities within the district.
Kate Goodrich Elementary stands out as a school that has shown significant improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 790th out of 1,025 Wisconsin elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 304th out of 1,050 in 2020-2021, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. This improvement may be attributed to the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12:1. In contrast, Washington Elementary has maintained a consistent 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, with test scores that are generally on par with or slightly above the district and state averages.
The data also reveals some interesting insights about the schools' socioeconomic factors and funding. Kate Goodrich Elementary has the highest percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients at 63.97%, compared to 54.62% at Washington Elementary and 44.36% at Pine River School for Young Learners (PRSYL). However, the variation in spending per student across the schools does not appear to directly correlate with their performance, suggesting that factors beyond just funding, such as teaching quality, curriculum, and school leadership, may play a more significant role in driving student outcomes.
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