Merrill Middle School

Q: Is Merrill Middle School a good school?

Merrill Middle School ranks 224 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Merrill Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 634 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merrill Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 77.3% of Merrill's 8th-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 56.4% for the district and 77.5% for the state. Similarly, 69% of Merrill's 8th-graders were proficient in Mathematics, compared to 50.7% for the district and 73.2% for the state. Merrill's student population is also more diverse than some nearby schools, with 59.15% White, 15.93% African American, 12.46% Hispanic, 3.31% Asian, and 8.52% two or more races.

Despite Merrill's strong academic performance, the school faces challenges related to socioeconomic factors, with 44.64% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. This is higher than the state average and suggests a need to address issues related to access to resources, academic support, and social-emotional well-being for students from low-income families. When compared to other schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, Merrill's performance stands out, indicating that the school may have effective practices or resources that could be shared to help improve the performance of other district schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5301 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA 50312

(515) 242-8448

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
224^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,938

Students who attend Merrill Middle School usually attend:

High:

Roosevelt High School

Feeder schools for Merrill Middle School:

Elementary:	Cowles Elementary School
	Hanawalt Elementary
	Windsor Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 634

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.1%

African American:

15.9%

Hispanic:

12.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Merrill Middle School ranks worse than 66.5% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 10 ranked middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.53. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Merrill Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merrill Middle School is $12,938, which is the lowest among 10 middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Merrill Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Merrill Middle School 224^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Merrill Middle School in the ranking list.)

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Merrill Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	50.43	187^th	349	46.4%
2013	49.53	203^rd	350	42.0%
2014	51.00	186^th	337	44.8%
2015	57.27	165^th	349	52.7%
2016	60.92	137^th	343	60.1%
2017	66.93	97^th	327	70.3%
2018	70.25	75^th	318	76.4%
2019	47.92	198^th	342	42.1%
2021	44.54	204^th	324	37.0%
2022	45.12	211^th	337	37.4%
2023	42.43	220^th	334	34.1%
2024	42.53	224^th	337	33.5%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Merrill Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	390	105	9	4	2	n/a	n/a	510
1989	409	105	8	2	2	n/a	n/a	526
1990	415	125	7	2	3	n/a	n/a	552
1991	411	110	5	1	3	n/a	n/a	530
1992	424	126	12	6	4	n/a	n/a	572
1993	458	119	14	8	1	n/a	n/a	600
1994	447	122	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	586
1995	424	113	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	550
1996	424	113	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	550
1997	451	99	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	563
1998	471	91	8	9	1	n/a	n/a	580
1999	513	112	10	9	3	n/a	n/a	647
2000	490	96	14	14	6	n/a	n/a	620
2001	456	106	17	11	7	n/a	n/a	597
2002	466	139	12	34	3	n/a	n/a	654
2003	466	139	12	34	3	n/a	n/a	654
2004	456	145	12	44	3	n/a	n/a	660
2005	450	132	9	40	2	n/a	n/a	633
2006	431	124	14	47	3	n/a	n/a	619
2007	424	130	15	53	2	n/a	n/a	624
2008	438	114	14	39	5	n/a	n/a	610
2009	383	131	23	53	2	n/a	n/a	592
2010	363	123	21	72	1	0	35	615
2011	390	108	17	64	1	2	41	623
2012	439	100	22	59	3	2	46	671
2013	436	92	20	57	2	3	48	658
2014	466	82	22	71	3	1	60	705
2015	475	87	23	70	0	1	62	718
2016	470	96	24	73	1	0	66	730
2017	470	102	20	87	1	0	61	741
2018	476	94	27	88	2	2	54	743
2019	479	102	21	92	2	2	62	760
2020	473	115	27	93	2	2	70	782
2021	456	117	20	88	0	0	69	750
2022	407	105	20	77	4	0	56	669
2023	375	101	21	79	4	0	54	634

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merrill Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	510	31.4	16.2	21.8
1989	526	37.1	14.1	20.5
1990	552	31.0	17.8	18.7
1991	530	41.0	12.9	16.8
1992	572	36.0	15.8	19.8
1993	600	37.0	16.2	20.3
1994	586	47.6	12.3	18.6
1995	550	36.0	15.3	21.1
1996	550	36.0	15.3	21.1
1997	563	36.0	15.6	19.9
1998	580	36.0	16.1	18.4
1999	647	35.6	18.2	22.7
2000	620	43.8	14.2	22.6
2001	597	43.3	13.8	20.4
2002	654	43.3	15.1	32.6
2003	654	43.3	15.1	32.6
2004	660	45.6	14.5	34.1
2005	633	40.7	15.6	35.5
2006	619	42.3	14.6	37
2007	624	42.3	14.8	30.8
2008	610	39.5	15.4	36.6
2009	592	38.3	15.5	31.4
2010	615	36.8	16.7	41.8
2011	623	33.7	18.4	45.4
2012	671	35.8	18.7	40.5
2013	658	37.7	17.4	41.6
2014	705	38.9	18.0	36.3
2015	718	40.0	17.9	39.6
2016	730	39.0	18.7	43.4
2017	741	39.3	18.8	39
2018	743	39.4	18.8	40
2019	760	38.6	19.6	47.2
2020	782	37.3	20.9	48.6
2021	750	41.6	18.0	46.7
2022	669	39.1	17.1	43.3
2023	634	36.1	17.5	44.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Merrill Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	510	31.4	16.2	21.8
1989	526	37.1	14.1	20.5
1990	552	31.0	17.8	18.7
1991	530	41.0	12.9	16.8
1992	572	36.0	15.8	19.8
1993	600	37.0	16.2	20.3
1994	586	47.6	12.3	18.6
1995	550	36.0	15.3	21.1
1996	550	36.0	15.3	21.1
1997	563	36.0	15.6	19.9
1998	580	36.0	16.1	18.4
1999	647	35.6	18.2	22.7
2000	620	43.8	14.2	22.6
2001	597	43.3	13.8	20.4
2002	654	43.3	15.1	32.6
2003	654	43.3	15.1	32.6
2004	660	45.6	14.5	34.1
2005	633	40.7	15.6	35.5
2006	619	42.3	14.6	37
2007	624	42.3	14.8	30.8
2008	610	39.5	15.4	36.6
2009	592	38.3	15.5	31.4
2010	615	36.8	16.7	41.8
2011	623	33.7	18.4	45.4
2012	671	35.8	18.7	40.5
2013	658	37.7	17.4	41.6
2014	705	38.9	18.0	36.3
2015	718	40.0	17.9	39.6
2016	730	39.0	18.7	43.4
2017	741	39.3	18.8	39
2018	743	39.4	18.8	40
2019	760	38.6	19.6	47.2
2020	782	37.3	20.9	48.6
2021	750	41.6	18.0	46.7
2022	669	39.1	17.1	43.3
2023	634	36.1	17.5	44.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merrill Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$599 (4.6%)	$12,340 (95.4%)	$12,938

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrill Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 198^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 220^th of 334 Middle schools	8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Middle School)	62.1	60.8	1.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.3	45.6	2.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Merrill Middle School)	63.3	67.2	3.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.1	41	10.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Middle School)	76.6	69.4	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	47.8	48.4	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Merrill Middle School)	77.5	68.9	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	43.3	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Middle School)	71.5	79.5	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.7	51.5	0.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Merrill Middle School)	66.3	69.5	3.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	46.1	5.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	760	634	16.6%
African American	102	101	1%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	21	21
Hispanic	92	79	14.1%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	479	375	21.7%
Two or More Races	62	54	12.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.2%	44.6%	2.6%

Schools Near Merrill Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	634	36	17.5	44.6%	375 (59.1%)	101 (15.9%)	79 (12.5%)	21 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.5%)	42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%		42.4	220^th of 334 public middle schools	34.1%	4	73.4	73.4	77.3	70.3	67.1	69.0	65.9	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	507	32	15.8	76.7%	133 (26.2%)	195 (38.5%)	101 (19.9%)	24 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	49 (9.7%)	6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%		7.2	316^th of 334 public middle schools	5.4%	3	51.1	56.1	64.4	44.4	42.4	57.1	50.3	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	684	48	14.3	36.1%	449 (65.6%)	72 (10.5%)	91 (13.3%)	30 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.7%)	52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%		56.8	166^th of 334 public middle schools	50.3%	23		76.9	79.3		66.2	82.0	67.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	603	30	19.9	73.6%	288 (47.8%)	78 (12.9%)	171 (28.4%)	23 (3.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		2.3	325^th of 334 public middle schools	2.7%	5	52.8	52.2	59.9	46.7	42.3	63.4	45.1	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	696	53	13.1	45.4%	354 (50.9%)	71 (10.2%)	154 (22.1%)	63 (9.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.5%)	59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%		65.5	109^th of 334 public middle schools	67.4%	40		83.2	77.3		78.9	81.3	64.5	$15,125	$193	$14,931
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	664	47	14.0	83.9%	132 (19.9%)	235 (35.4%)	148 (22.3%)	96 (14.5%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (7.1%)	4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%		4.6	320^th of 334 public middle schools	4.2%	3	50.0	57.6	51.4	43.4	50.0	51.6	42.7	$14,971	$1,099	$13,873
Urbandale Middle School	Public	6-8	7701 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6600	894	57	15.8	40.6%	581 (65.0%)	84 (9.4%)	125 (14.0%)	53 (5.9%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	46 (5.1%)	49.3	201^st of 337 public middle schools	40.4%		49.1	197^th of 334 public middle schools	41.0%	4	72.8	81.8	80.3	71.1	70.7	74.0	61.7	$8,993	$119	$8,874
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	655	37	17.5	89.5%	109 (16.6%)	182 (27.8%)	226 (34.5%)	87 (13.3%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.7%)	0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%		1.3	328^th of 334 public middle schools	1.8%	6	37.1	46.1	47.6	36.0	34.0	42.3	33.5	$13,719	$830	$12,889
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	529	34	15.7	94.9%	67 (12.7%)	126 (23.8%)	282 (53.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%		0.6	331^st of 334 public middle schools	0.9%	4	37.1	37.1	40.6	35.6	26.6	34.3	23.1	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	684	39	17.5	85.7%	135 (19.7%)	121 (17.7%)	278 (40.6%)	102 (14.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.6%)	1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%		1.4	327^th of 334 public middle schools	2.1%	6	47.7	41.5	49.7	42.0	28.4	35.2	40.8	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill Middle School

Is Merrill Middle School a good school?

Merrill Middle School ranks 224^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Merrill Middle School?

Students at Merrill Middle School are 59% White, 16% African American, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Merrill Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Merrill Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 634 students attended Merrill Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Merrill Middle School attend?

Students who attend Merrill Middle School usually go on to attend Roosevelt High School

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

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.