Prairie River Middle

Prairie River Middle is a public middle school in Merrill, Wisconsin, serving 541 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the Merrill Area School District, which is ranked 236 out of 426 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Prairie River Middle's academic performance, as measured by the Forward Exam, is generally below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 26.17% to 42.86%, compared to the state averages of 51.26% to 53.97%. Similarly, in Mathematics, the proficiency rates ranged from 27.1% to 51.26%, compared to the state averages of 52.58% to 53.06%. The school's performance has been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 282 out of 612 middle schools in 2014-2015 to 467 out of 628 in 2024-2025. Prairie River Middle also struggles with relatively high dropout rates and chronic absenteeism.

Interestingly, the nearby Marathon Venture Academy and middle schools in the Wausau School District generally outperform Prairie River Middle in academic achievement, with higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. These schools also have lower dropout rates and chronic absenteeism. The district should prioritize implementing targeted interventions and strategies to address the challenges faced by Prairie River Middle and improve student outcomes.