Summary:
ZIP code 54452, which covers Merrill, Wisconsin, contains exactly one middle school: Prairie River Middle, serving grades 5–8 with 507 students as part of the Merrill Area School District. Because it is the only middle school in the area, it is the sole public option for local families. Prairie River Middle is rated 1 star and ranked 492nd of 643 Wisconsin middle schools in 2025–2026, the 23rd percentile, while the Merrill Area School District ranks 213th of 432 — 51st percentile, 3 stars. That gap between district and school standing is the single most notable fact in the data.
On academics, results are mixed. The school's simple average English Language Arts proficiency climbed from 34.87% to 44.83% year over year, and 5th grade ELA reached 54.17% in 2025–2026, just above the state average of 53.63%. 5th grade math was 39.17%, above the district's 37.67% but below the state's 51.81%. Math is the clearest weakness: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math were each at least 16 points below the state average, with 7th grade math at 19.60 points behind. The 8th grade cohort slipped as it advanced, with math falling from 41.80% to 36.89% and ELA from 38.52% to 36.89%. 8th grade science was 47.93%, only 3.93 points below state, while 8th grade social studies was 54.10%, 10.53 points behind.
Outside test scores, chronic absenteeism stands at 20.3%, above the district's 14.6% and the state's 17.3% — roughly 1 in 5 students. The dropout rate of 0.7% is lower than both district and state. The school spends $16,943 per student with a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio, and 47.34% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite the ELA gains, the school's percentile rank has slipped each year, from 29th to 26th to 23rd, holding 1 star for three straight years.
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