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Washington Elementary

Q: Is Washington Elementary a good school?

Washington Elementary ranks 502 nd of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-4

502^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Washington Elementary is a grades 3–4 school at 1900 E 6th St in Merrill, Wisconsin, a small city in the north-central part of the state, serving 257 students as one half of the Merrill Area School District's two-building elementary pipeline — the other half being Kate Goodrich Elementary (K–2), about 1.7 miles away. Every other school it is compared with sits 11–16 miles away in the Wausau or Athens districts, so those comparisons are regional rather than neighborhood.

In 2025‑26 the school ranked 502nd of 1,039 ranked Wisconsin elementary schools — the 52nd percentile, 3 stars — essentially matching its district's overall profile. The longer trend matters more: Washington peaked at the 76th percentile (4 stars) in 2020‑21, spent three years in the 46th–48th percentile band, and has now climbed back to the 52nd. Chronic absenteeism is a genuine strength, falling for three straight years to 11.8%, below the Merrill district (14.6%) and the state (17.3%), and better than Kate Goodrich (13.1%). Proficiency is above state in four of six reported metrics, including 3rd-grade reading (62.5%) and math (59.82%) and 4th-grade reading (58.33%). The clear exception is 4th-grade math at 44.17%, below both the state and the district.

Washington serves a high-poverty population — 55.6% low-income, similar to Kate Goodrich — with per-pupil spending of $16,832, comfortably above several Wausau-area schools but below Kate Goodrich's $18,481. Its student-teacher ratio has risen from 11.5 to 14.5 in two years, higher than Kate Goodrich's 12.5. Low-income students rank at the 67th percentile (3 stars), up sharply from the two prior years, while special education students slipped from the 68th to the 43rd percentile. This year's 3rd graders posted large gains over last year's, and following that same cohort into 4th grade shows a sizable reading gain alongside a math decline — consistent with the weak 4th-grade math result.

257

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,832

Per pupil spending ?

55.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1900 E 6th St
Merrill, WI 54452-1600

(715) 536-2373

District: Merrill Area School District

Students who attend Washington Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Prairie River Middle
High:	Merrill High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.4%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Hispanic:

3.9%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Washington Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Wisconsin median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg59%

Wisconsin avg55%

502^nd of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

213^th of 432Merrill Area School District among Wisconsin districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	502 of 1039	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.2	541 of 1044	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.5	558 of 1061	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.8	574 of 1067	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	64.3	374 of 1067	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.3	253 of 1050	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	60.3	433 of 1037	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.9	365 of 1025	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.1	567 of 1071	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	51.1	574 of 1075	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	61.2	451 of 1076	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.2	479 of 1061	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	41.9	735 of 1053	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.0	442 of 1045	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	46.9	728 of 1046	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.0	547 of 1045	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.9	687 of 1030	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.3	747 of 1021	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	52.3	417 of 689	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.0	529 of 712	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	12.6	566 of 633	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	425 of 986	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.6	520 of 1001	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.8	454 of 1011	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	577 of 1010	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.6	476 of 1017	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.3	288 of 1004	71.3%	★★★★☆
2019	76.8	182 of 1002	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.5	263 of 997	73.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	84.5	30 of 322	90.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	61.6	276 of 848	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.0	420 of 870	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	407 of 866	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	306 of 871	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.0	233 of 859	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.7	63 of 847	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	45.9	486 of 874	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.3	364 of 854	57.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	524 of 989	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.4	518 of 1000	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.6	578 of 1012	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.4	491 of 1011	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.6	268 of 1017	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	72.2	226 of 1003	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	42.5	654 of 1002	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.9	465 of 997	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	31.2	85 of 119	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	449 of 791	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.7	471 of 802	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.7	252 of 790	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.8	311 of 770	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.0	412 of 748	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.0	240 of 746	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.4	493 of 742	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.4	365 of 721	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	39.5	461 of 697	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.5	509 of 718	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.6	494 of 727	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	525 of 715	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.5	412 of 704	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.9	337 of 699	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.2	521 of 718	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)91st percentile+43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)47th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)43rd percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)29th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies65%~ state avg

English Language Arts60%+7 vs state

Science56%~ state avg

Mathematics52%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Washington Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Washington Elementary	Public	3-4	1900 E 6th St	Merrill	54452	Lincoln County	Merrill Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 536-2373	257	18	14.5	55.6%	222 (86.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.3%)	56.9	502^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	51.7%		54.2	541^st of 1044 public elementary schools	48.2%	39	62.5	58.3			59.8	44.2			65.0	55.8			$16,832	$695	$16,138
Kate Goodrich Elementary	Public	K-2	505 W 10th St	Merrill	54452	Lincoln County	Merrill Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 536-5233	337	27	12.5	55.8%	289 (85.8%)	4 (1.2%)	16 (4.7%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.1%)								(n/a)											90%		$18,481	$1,143	$17,338
Maine Elementary	Public	K-5	5901 N 44th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0250	229	17	13.2	35.8%	179 (78.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.1%)	28 (12.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	53.8	546^th of 1039 public elementary schools	47.4%		47.5	622^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	40.4%	76	51.6	43.2	71.4		61.3	36.4	66.7		63.6	50.0	88%		$14,359	$612	$13,747
Maple Grove Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	135594 County Road L	Athens	54411	Marathon County	Athens School District	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(715) 257-7511	94	8	12.3	38.3%	89 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	49.1	607^th of 1039 public elementary schools	41.6%		46.4	639^th of 1044 public elementary schools	38.8%	32	54.6	62.5	55.6		50.0	20.8	33.3		75.0	54.2			$8,789	$1,002	$7,787
Riverview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4303 Troy St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0030	445	27	16.3	44.3%	316 (71.0%)	4 (0.9%)	19 (4.3%)	74 (16.6%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.1%)	55.3	527^th of 1039 public elementary schools	49.3%		41.1	713^th of 1044 public elementary schools	31.7%	186	43.1	61.3	57.5		33.9	50.0	62.1		68.8	60.0	88%		$13,521	$613	$12,908
Red Granite Charter School Inc	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	150801 Robin Lane	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(715) 261-0220	51	3	16.9	49.0%	46 (90.2%)	1 (2.0%)	3 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)								(n/a)											55%		$3,321	$373	$2,948
Thomas Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-5	500 W Randolph St	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0175	372	29	12.8	61.0%	171 (46.0%)	8 (2.2%)	25 (6.7%)	129 (34.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.5%)	43.5	677^th of 1039 public elementary schools	34.8%		60.6	450^th of 1044 public elementary schools	56.9%	227	36.5	56.8	38.5		46.0	44.6	50.8		67.6	51.4	89%		$16,125	$968	$15,157
Wausau Area Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3101 N 13th St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 261-0795	121	7	16.9	30.6%	104 (86.0%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.3%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.3%)	67.3	353^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	66.0%		65.9	371^st of 1044 public elementary schools	64.5%	18	69.2	72.7	53.3	66.7	84.6	45.5	40.0	44.4	86.4	72.7	78%		$12,314	$755	$11,559
Franklin Elementary	Public	K-5	1509 N 5th St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0000	181	17	10.4	69.1%	88 (48.6%)	5 (2.8%)	19 (10.5%)	51 (28.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (9.4%)	32.4	782^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	24.7%		32.6	787^th of 1044 public elementary schools	24.6%	5	40.5	41.3	44.9		37.2	28.3	38.8		65.2	41.3	83%		$18,053	$1,623	$16,430
Stettin Elementary	Public	K-5	109 N 56th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0205	327	17	18.8	37.9%	224 (68.5%)	7 (2.1%)	28 (8.6%)	44 (13.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.7%)	68.6	334^th of 1039 public elementary schools	67.9%		80.6	151^st of 1044 public elementary schools	85.5%	183	35.3	68.6	83.3		43.1	58.8	86.4		76.5	64.7	93%		$11,703	$549	$11,153

Frequently Asked Questions about Washington Elementary

Is Washington Elementary a good school?

Washington Elementary ranks 502^nd of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Washington Elementary attend?

Students who attend Washington Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Prairie River Middle
High : Merrill High

What district is Washington Elementary in?

Merrill Area School District

What is the racial makeup of Washington Elementary?

Students at Washington Elementary are 86% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend Washington Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 257 students attended Washington Elementary.

Rate Washington Elementary!

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.