Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Q: Is Mildred Merkley Elementary School a good school?

Mildred Merkley Elementary School ranks 361 st of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Mildred Merkley Elementary School is a public elementary school in Highland, Indiana, serving 265 students in grades K-5. As part of the School Town of Highland district, which is ranked 87 out of 381 districts in Indiana, Mildred Merkley offers a diverse student population and generally competitive academic performance.

One of the key factors that sets Mildred Merkley apart is its racial diversity, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (35.47%) and a lower percentage of White students (50.19%) compared to some nearby schools. Academically, the school's test scores are on par or slightly above the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Math, with a 2023-2024 proficiency rate of 43.92% in ELA and 53.74% in Math. However, the school does have a higher chronic absenteeism rate (16.0% in 2022-2023) and a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (46.79% in 2022-2023), which could be areas for improvement.

When compared to nearby schools, Mildred Merkley's performance falls in the middle range. It has lower test scores than the highly-rated School Town of Munster schools, but higher scores than the lower-performing schools in School City of Hammond and Griffith Public Schools. Overall, Mildred Merkley appears to be a solid, middle-performing school within its district, with a diverse student population and some areas for potential improvement.

Detail:

Public K-5

9340 Fifth St
Highland, IN 46322

(219) 922-5640

District: School Town of Highland

SchoolDigger Rank:
361^st of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,375

Students who attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Highland Middle School
High:	Highland High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 281

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.5%

Hispanic:

38.1%

African American:

10.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.6%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Mildred Merkley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mildred Merkley Elementary School ranks better than 64.3% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the School Town of Highland District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.43. (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 Mildred Merkley Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the School Town of Highland District. Racial makeup is: White (44.5%), Hispanic (38.1%), African American (10.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mildred Merkley Elementary School is 19.3, which is the 2^nd best among 4 elementary schools in the School Town of Highland District. (See more...)

Compare Mildred Merkley Elementary School employs 14.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mildred Merkley Elementary School is $10,375, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the School Town of Highland District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Mildred Merkley Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

School Town of Highland:

SchoolDigger ranks School Town of Highland 105^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mildred Merkley Elementary School.

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Rank History for Mildred Merkley Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	70.34	78^th	326	76.1%
2005	67.88	283^rd	959	70.5%
2006	79.73	140^th	961	85.4%
2007	72.39	236^th	985	76.0%
2008	80.79	125^th	996	87.4%
2009	76.25	199^th	1003	80.2%
2010	70.75	289^th	1009	71.4%
2011	65.65	375^th	1025	63.4%
2012	56.38	516^th	1015	49.2%
2013	52.92	586^th	1035	43.4%
2014	60.46	468^th	1036	54.8%
2015	65.69	367^th	1040	64.7%
2016	59.65	483^rd	1046	53.8%
2017	53.34	557^th	1033	46.1%
2018	56.58	502^nd	1027	51.1%
2019	43.32	645^th	1031	37.4%
2021	67.20	328^th	1016	67.7%
2022	53.46	503^rd	1020	50.7%
2023	57.13	457^th	1016	55.0%
2024	64.43	361^st	1010	64.3%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Friday, January 17, 2014

As a 35 yaer resident of Highland who has had three children attend Elementry, Middle and High School in Highland, I am well aware of the wonderful and dedicated staff at Merkley. I tis a very good school and provides a quality educaiton. It encourages parental involvement and offers a wide range of programs and activities to enhance the overall educational experiecne. I would recomend the school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	325	0	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1989	373	0	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
1990	310	0	5	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	338
1991	314	0	3	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
1992	314	0	5	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
1993	326	0	4	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
1994	311	0	2	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
1995	347	0	2	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
1996	347	0	2	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
1997	362	0	5	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	392
1998	359	2	3	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	385
1999	355	0	4	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	376
2000	340	0	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
2001	342	1	3	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
2002	353	2	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
2003	353	2	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
2004	337	2	6	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	377
2005	337	4	2	54	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2006	332	5	1	46	0	n/a	n/a	0	384
2007	298	3	3	48	1	n/a	n/a	7	360
2008	303	9	2	56	1	n/a	n/a	12	383
2009	291	8	6	59	1	n/a	n/a	14	379
2010	279	11	6	69	0	n/a	n/a	16	381
2011	267	12	8	78	1	0	17	0	383
2012	250	14	5	97	0	0	11	0	377
2013	201	8	3	104	0	0	4	0	320
2014	197	11	1	105	0	0	5	0	319
2015	197	13	2	97	0	0	7	0	316
2016	190	11	2	98	0	0	10	0	311
2017	178	19	2	88	0	0	8	0	295
2018	173	20	3	95	0	0	8	0	299
2019	165	21	5	89	0	0	11	0	291
2020	149	22	6	101	0	0	10	0	288
2021	147	22	7	95	0	0	6	0	277
2022	137	30	6	90	0	0	5	0	268
2023	133	26	5	94	0	0	7	0	265
2024	125	29	10	107	0	0	10	0	281

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 Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	344	16.8	20.4	6.1
1989	388	18.7	20.7	3.6
1990	338	16.8	20.1	4.7
1991	328	19.9	16.4	4.9
1992	337	16.5	20.4	6.5
1993	348	17.2	20.2	9.5
1994	335	15.7	21.3	10.7
1995	375	16.5	22.7	9.1
1996	375	16.5	22.7	9.1
1997	392	18.4	21.3	11
1998	385	18.6	20.7	4.7
1999	376	17.4	21.6	11.2
2000	365	15.3	23.9	8.5
2001	368	16.5	22.3	10.6
2002	380	17.9	21.2	13.9
2003	380	17.9	21.2	13.9
2004	377	15.6	24.2	14.9
2005	397	16.4	24.2	19.1
2006	384	16.1	23.9	17.4
2007	360	n/a	n/a	11
2008	383	16.7	22.9	24
2009	379	16.5	23.0	25.2
2010	381	15.5	24.4	33.2
2011	383	15.3	24.9	35
2012	377	22.5	16.7	36.6
2013	320	17.0	18.8	42.2
2014	319	17.0	18.7	42.9
2015	316	16.0	19.7	39.6
2016	311	16.0	19.4	39.5
2017	295	17.0	17.3	36.3
2018	299	16.0	18.6	46.2
2019	291	18.0	16.1	42.6
2020	288	16.0	18.0	48.3
2021	277	16.0	17.3	49.1
2022	268	15.5	17.2	37.3
2023	265	15.0	17.6	46.8
2024	281	14.5	19.3	46.6

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 Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	344	16.8	20.4	6.1
1989	388	18.7	20.7	3.6
1990	338	16.8	20.1	4.7
1991	328	19.9	16.4	4.9
1992	337	16.5	20.4	6.5
1993	348	17.2	20.2	9.5
1994	335	15.7	21.3	10.7
1995	375	16.5	22.7	9.1
1996	375	16.5	22.7	9.1
1997	392	18.4	21.3	11
1998	385	18.6	20.7	4.7
1999	376	17.4	21.6	11.2
2000	365	15.3	23.9	8.5
2001	368	16.5	22.3	10.6
2002	380	17.9	21.2	13.9
2003	380	17.9	21.2	13.9
2004	377	15.6	24.2	14.9
2005	397	16.4	24.2	19.1
2006	384	16.1	23.9	17.4
2007	360	n/a	n/a	11
2008	383	16.7	22.9	24
2009	379	16.5	23.0	25.2
2010	381	15.5	24.4	33.2
2011	383	15.3	24.9	35
2012	377	22.5	16.7	36.6
2013	320	17.0	18.8	42.2
2014	319	17.0	18.7	42.9
2015	316	16.0	19.7	39.6
2016	311	16.0	19.4	39.5
2017	295	17.0	17.3	36.3
2018	299	16.0	18.6	46.2
2019	291	18.0	16.1	42.6
2020	288	16.0	18.0	48.3
2021	277	16.0	17.3	49.1
2022	268	15.5	17.2	37.3
2023	265	15.0	17.6	46.8
2024	281	14.5	19.3	46.6

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 Mildred Merkley Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$222 (2.7%)	$7,953 (97.3%)	$8,176
2020	$220 (2.6%)	$8,391 (97.4%)	$8,611
2021	$334 (3.5%)	$9,125 (96.5%)	$9,459
2022	$536 (5.2%)	$9,839 (94.8%)	$10,374

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mildred Merkley Elementary 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 645^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 457^th of 1016 Elementary schools	17.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	44	39.5	4.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	44.2	43.5	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	60.8	55.8	5%
3rd Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	65.2	63.2	2%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	43.4	47.4	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	48.2	46.1	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	64.2	65.8	1.6%
4th Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	61.1	63.6	2.5%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	47.2	43.2	4%
4th Grade Science (School Town of Highland)	52.2	39.8	12.4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	19.5	37.5	18%
5th Grade English Language Arts (School Town of Highland)	42.2	36.9	5.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	29.3	33.9	4.6%
5th Grade Math (School Town of Highland)	40.9	42.8	1.9%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Mildred Merkley Elementary School)	22	30.9	8.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (School Town of Highland)	48.4	41.7	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	291	265	8.9%
African American	21	26	23.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	89	94	5.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	165	133	19.4%
Two or More Races	11	7	36.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42.6%	46.8%	4.2%

Schools Near Mildred Merkley Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mildred Merkley Elementary School	Public	K-5	9340 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5640	281	15	19.3	46.6%	125 (44.5%)	29 (10.3%)	107 (38.1%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.6%)	64.4	361^st of 1010 public elementary schools	64.3%		57.1	457^th of 1016 public elementary schools	55.0%	96	39.2	40.4	52.0		43.9	60.8	57.5	42.9		53.7	37.5	$10,375	$536	$9,839
Allen J Warren Elementary School	Public	K-5	2901 100th St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5660	283	16	18.2	51.9%	107 (37.8%)	61 (21.6%)	98 (34.6%)	11 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	72.9	263^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	74.0%		70.2	298^th of 1016 public elementary schools	70.7%	35	51.0	49.0	42.9		47.7	60.8	63.3	59.2		61.1	38.8	$10,023	$509	$9,514
Southridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	9221 Johnston St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5650	407	18	23.2	34.4%	238 (58.5%)	25 (6.1%)	127 (31.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	54.8	470^th of 1010 public elementary schools	53.5%		61.7	396^th of 1016 public elementary schools	61.0%	74	39.0	37.5	33.8		36.8	61.0	47.2	43.7		50.9	33.8	$9,083	$469	$8,613
Beiriger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 N Lillian St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 924-4030	455	35	13.0	57.6%	197 (43.3%)	92 (20.2%)	143 (31.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	54.8	472^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	53.3%		57.4	451^st of 1016 public elementary schools	55.6%	21	28.4	28.2	46.4		34.3	51.6	38.2	47.1		46.0	60.7	$10,095	$1,747	$8,348
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8220 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-2428	376	16	24.2	46.3%	189 (50.3%)	36 (9.6%)	136 (36.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.5%)	64.1	366^th of 1010 public elementary schools	63.8%		66.5	344^th of 1016 public elementary schools	66.1%	22	40.0	35.7	45.6		40.4	60.0	51.4	48.5		52.5	48.5	$9,577	$635	$8,942
Ernest R Elliott Elementary School	Public	K-5	8718 White Oak Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 838-5250	487	28	17.3	26.3%	272 (55.9%)	19 (3.9%)	153 (31.4%)	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.5%)	86.5	109^th of 1010 public elementary schools	89.2%		93.3	41^st of 1016 public elementary schools	96.0%	68	52.4	64.6	64.0		60.5	66.7	70.7	57.0		64.3	55.0	$9,837	$921	$8,916
Frank H Hammond Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 Fran-Lin Pky	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	No	(219) 838-2060	647	35	18.4	16.5%	353 (54.6%)	49 (7.6%)	162 (25.0%)	48 (7.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.1%)	95.7	21^st of 1010 public elementary schools	97.9%		94.1	35^th of 1016 public elementary schools	96.6%	14	67.0	73.6	68.2		69.5	82.1	81.1	77.3		79.9	63.6	$8,677	$605	$8,072
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	600 N Jay St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-4488	452	37	12.2	44.2%	168 (37.2%)	111 (24.6%)	150 (33.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)								(n/a)												$8,908	$1,681	$7,226
Joseph Hess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3640 Orchard Dr	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7355	686	36	18.8	59.3%	90 (13.1%)	259 (37.8%)	295 (43.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.7%)	15.4	864^th of 1010 public elementary schools	14.5%		14.8	862^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	15.2%	2	17.7	17.8	20.3	15.9	18.0	32.9	23.3	18.2	5.8	20.5	15.6	$10,883	$1,907	$8,976
Longfellow New Technical Elementary School	Public	K-4	45th/Calhoun Sts	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-7004	486	31	15.9	94.0%	160 (32.9%)	148 (30.5%)	146 (30.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)	6.4	982^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	2.8%		8.1	948^th of 1016 public elementary schools	6.7%	34	12.7	12.6			12.6	10.1	10.5			10.3		$12,888	$3,529	$9,359

Frequently Asked Questions about Mildred Merkley Elementary School

How many students attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 281 students attended Mildred Merkley Elementary School.

What district is Mildred Merkley Elementary School in?

School Town of Highland

What is the racial makeup of Mildred Merkley Elementary School?

Students at Mildred Merkley Elementary School are 44% White, 38% Hispanic, 10% African American, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

Is Mildred Merkley Elementary School a good school?

Mildred Merkley Elementary School ranks 361^st of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Mildred Merkley Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Mildred Merkley Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Highland Middle School
High : Highland High School

Rate Mildred Merkley Elementary 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 Indiana 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.