Is Merrill High School a good school?

Merrill High School ranks in the bottom 16.0% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend Merrill High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 177 students attended Merrill High School.

What is the racial makeup of Merrill High School?

Students at Merrill High School are 90% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Merrill High School?

Merrill High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Merrill Elementary School Middle : Merrill Middle School

Merrill High School

Summary:

Merrill High School is a public high school located in Merrill, Michigan, serving 185 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Merrill Community Schools district, which is ranked 414 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merrill High School has several key characteristics that differentiate it from nearby schools. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (89.19%) compared to the state average, and it has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Michigan high schools, receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Merrill High School's graduation rates have been fluctuating, ranging from 66.6% to 93.7%, and its dropout rates have also been inconsistent, ranging from 2.0% to 7.6%. The school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.0% to 26.3%, and its test scores are significantly lower than the state averages, with only 17.5% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in M-Step/Science and 30% proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Swan Valley High School, St Louis High School, and Hemlock High School, Merrill High School consistently ranks lower, has lower academic performance, and serves a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which may contribute to the school's academic challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

555 W Alice St
Merrill, MI 48637-8757

(989) 643-7231

District: Merrill Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
624^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,347

Feeder schools for Merrill High School:

Elementary:	Merrill Elementary School
Middle:	Merrill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 177

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.8%

Hispanic:

7.3%

Two or more races:

2.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.2%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Merrill High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Merrill High School ranks worse than 84% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.72. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Merrill High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Racial makeup is: White (89.8%), Hispanic (7.3%), two or more races (2.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merrill High School is 17.8. (See more...)

Compare Merrill High School employs 9.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merrill High School is $13,347.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merrill High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrill High School 624^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Merrill High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Merrill Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrill Community Schools 414^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Merrill High School?

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Rank History for Merrill High School

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Rank History for all students at Merrill High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	42.90	481^st	705	31.8%
2007	61.94	350^th	767	54.4%
2008	50.98	455^th	750	39.3%
2009	60.64	376^th	754	50.1%
2010	70.02	285^th	765	62.7%
2011	65.14	344^th	784	56.1%
2012	57.70	365^th	773	52.8%
2013	29.71	556^th	805	30.9%
2014	51.55	421^st	799	47.3%
2015	56.75	373^rd	832	55.2%
2016	41.74	472^nd	852	44.6%
2017	43.17	438^th	835	47.5%
2018	30.19	550^th	824	33.3%
2019	15.51	563^rd	666	15.5%
2021	19.34	485^th	561	13.5%
2022	30.58	423^rd	531	20.3%
2023	30.02	520^th	735	29.3%
2024	15.72	624^th	743	16.0%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Merrill High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	27.85	524^th	755	30.6%
2021	27.61	328^th	417	21.3%
2023	37.57	387^th	614	37.0%
2024	22.31	531^st	654	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Merrill High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	24.78	522^nd	710	26.5%
2019	40.75	341^st	554	38.4%
2021	28.70	352^nd	462	23.8%
2022	24.16	368^th	416	11.5%
2023	9.20	561^st	611	8.2%
2024	12.51	547^th	619	11.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Merrill High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	26.71	516^th	707	27.0%
2023	43.82	345^th	611	43.5%
2024	12.02	570^th	633	10.0%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Merrill High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	19.69	556^th	708	21.5%
2019	8.49	541^st	582	7.0%
2021	14.43	472^nd	516	8.5%
2022	24.82	406^th	492	17.5%
2023	24.50	501^st	647	22.6%
2024	4.89	615^th	638	3.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Merrill High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	347	0	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	-26	326
1989	334	0	0	10	1	n/a	n/a	-19	326
1990	304	0	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	-25	292
1991	302	0	1	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	316
1992	327	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	333
1993	295	1	0	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
1994	301	0	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1995	322	2	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
1996	322	2	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
1997	315	0	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	330
1998	319	0	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
1999	314	0	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	321
2000	310	0	1	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	322
2001	310	0	0	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	318
2002	269	0	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	277
2003	269	0	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	277
2004	266	2	1	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	276
2005	258	1	1	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	269
2006	261	1	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	275
2007	275	1	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	2	288
2008	279	1	2	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	294
2009	258	1	2	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	270
2010	253	1	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	262
2011	239	2	3	11	0	0	1	0	256
2012	210	0	1	12	1	0	1	0	225
2013	229	0	0	14	0	0	3	0	246
2014	211	2	0	18	1	0	4	0	236
2015	204	0	0	14	0	0	4	0	222
2016	174	0	0	14	1	0	3	0	192
2017	191	1	0	9	2	1	4	0	208
2018	191	1	1	14	2	0	5	0	214
2019	178	1	0	14	2	0	5	0	200
2020	192	0	1	12	2	0	5	0	212
2021	201	0	0	13	1	0	8	0	223
2022	184	0	0	11	1	0	6	0	202
2023	165	0	1	14	1	0	4	0	185
2024	159	0	0	13	0	0	5	0	177

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 High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	326	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	326	n/a	n/a	34.4
1990	292	17.0	17.1	31.5
1991	316	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	333	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	309	n/a	0.0	0
1994	311	14.8	21.0	27.3
1995	337	15.2	22.2	28.2
1996	337	15.2	22.2	28.2
1997	330	16.0	20.6	28.8
1998	328	17.0	19.3	27.1
1999	321	18.0	17.8	28.7
2000	322	16.8	19.2	37.6
2001	318	17.5	18.2	40.6
2002	277	18.0	15.4	56.7
2003	277	18.0	15.4	56.7
2004	276	17.0	16.2	59.4
2005	269	18.0	14.9	64.3
2006	275	17.5	15.7	61.5
2007	288	12.0	24.0	27.3
2008	294	14.5	20.3	24.1
2009	270	14.7	18.4	28.5
2010	262	15.2	17.2	35.9
2011	256	11.4	22.4	34.4
2012	225	11.6	19.3	39.1
2013	246	10.4	23.6	37
2014	236	9.7	24.2	51.3
2015	222	11.0	20.1	44.6
2016	192	9.0	21.3	40.6
2017	208	9.0	22.9	28.4
2018	214	10.1	21.0	35.5
2019	200	9.1	21.9	46
2020	212	8.2	25.6	42
2021	223	9.5	23.3	54.7
2022	202	8.4	23.8	54.5
2023	185	9.5	19.3	45.4
2024	177	9.9	17.8	54.2

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 High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	326	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	326	n/a	n/a	34.4
1990	292	17.0	17.1	31.5
1991	316	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	333	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	309	n/a	0.0	0
1994	311	14.8	21.0	27.3
1995	337	15.2	22.2	28.2
1996	337	15.2	22.2	28.2
1997	330	16.0	20.6	28.8
1998	328	17.0	19.3	27.1
1999	321	18.0	17.8	28.7
2000	322	16.8	19.2	37.6
2001	318	17.5	18.2	40.6
2002	277	18.0	15.4	56.7
2003	277	18.0	15.4	56.7
2004	276	17.0	16.2	59.4
2005	269	18.0	14.9	64.3
2006	275	17.5	15.7	61.5
2007	288	12.0	24.0	27.3
2008	294	14.5	20.3	24.1
2009	270	14.7	18.4	28.5
2010	262	15.2	17.2	35.9
2011	256	11.4	22.4	34.4
2012	225	11.6	19.3	39.1
2013	246	10.4	23.6	37
2014	236	9.7	24.2	51.3
2015	222	11.0	20.1	44.6
2016	192	9.0	21.3	40.6
2017	208	9.0	22.9	28.4
2018	214	10.1	21.0	35.5
2019	200	9.1	21.9	46
2020	212	8.2	25.6	42
2021	223	9.5	23.3	54.7
2022	202	8.4	23.8	54.5
2023	185	9.5	19.3	45.4
2024	177	9.9	17.8	54.2

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 High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,087 (12.9%)	$7,372 (87.1%)	$8,459
2020	$1,156 (12.5%)	$8,072 (87.5%)	$9,228
2021	$1,754 (18.5%)	$7,703 (81.5%)	$9,457
2022	$1,660 (14.9%)	$9,517 (85.2%)	$11,176
2023	$1,852 (13.9%)	$11,495 (86.1%)	$13,347

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrill High 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 563^rd of 666 High schools	Ranks 520^th of 735 High schools	13.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Merrill High School)	17.8	29.8	12%
11th Grade Social Studies (Merrill Community Schools)	17.8	29.8	12%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Merrill High School)	42.2	34	8.2%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Merrill Community Schools)	42.2	34	8.2%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Merrill High School)	13.3	19.1	5.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Merrill Community Schools)	13.3	19.1	5.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)	36.3	29.9	6.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	200	185	7.5%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	14	14
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	178	165	7.3%
Two or More Races	5	4	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46%	45.4%	0.6%

Schools Near Merrill High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)		M-Step Math (2024)		M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill High School	Public	9-12	555 W Alice St	Merrill	48637	Saginaw County	Merrill Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 643-7231	177	10	17.8	54.2%	159 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	15.7	624^th of 743 public high schools	16.0%		30	520^th of 735 public high schools	29.3%	104			30.0							17.5		17.5	$13,347	$1,852	$11,495
Hemlock Virtual	Public, Virtual	7-12	733 N Hemlock Rd	Hemlock	48626	Saginaw County	Hemlock Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(989) 642-2338	58	1	39.4	58.6%	50 (86.2%)	1 (1.7%)	4 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.2%)								(n/a)													$7,144	$1,404	$5,739
Hemlock High School	Public	9-12	733 N Hemlock Rd	Hemlock	48626	Saginaw County	Hemlock Public School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 642-5287	332	17	19.5	22.9%	301 (90.7%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	88.4	67^th of 743 public high schools	91.0%		84.5	91^st of 735 public high schools	87.6%	24			68.1	42.0						62.3		56.5	$14,617	$929	$13,688
Breckenridge High School	Public	6-12	700 Wright St	Breckenridge	48615	Gratiot County	Breckenridge Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 842-3182	309	16	18.7	52.8%	274 (88.7%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	66.9	197^th of 743 public high schools	73.5%		41.8	417^th of 735 public high schools	43.3%	220	65.9	39.0	44.8		32.0	30.4	22.0	28.3	54.8	51.7	31.0	44.8	$13,416	$1,376	$12,040
Bullock Creek High School	Public	9-12	1420 S Badour Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 631-2340	481	27	17.6	36.6%	450 (93.6%)	5 (1.0%)	10 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)	77.1	135^th of 743 public high schools	81.8%		65.1	214^th of 735 public high schools	70.9%	79			62.4	29.4						55.9		53.2	$14,940	$1,081	$13,860
St Charles Community MiddleHigh School	Public	7-12	881 W Walnut St	Saint Charles	48655	Saginaw County	St. Charles Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 865-9991	312	18	17.3	56.1%	283 (90.7%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	68.5	189^th of 743 public high schools	74.6%		60.2	257^th of 735 public high schools	65.0%	68	76.1	37.0	57.7	26.9		50.9		37.7	45.7	50.0	23.9	46.2	$14,711	$1,182	$13,529
Central Michigan Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	8201 N Croswell Rd	Saint Louis	48880	Gratiot County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(989) 681-4361	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
St Louis Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	8585 N Croswell Rd	Saint Louis	48880	Gratiot County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(989) 681-6444	6	0			4 (66.7%)	2 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Swan Valley Adult and Alternative Education	Public	9-12	8400 Ohern Rd	Saginaw	48609	Saginaw County	Swan Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 921-2471	29	1	26.8	75.9%	20 (69.0%)	1 (3.4%)	5 (17.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.3%)								(n/a)													$4,975	$613	$4,362
Swan Valley High School	Public	9-12	8400 Ohern Rd	Saginaw	48609	Saginaw County	Swan Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 921-2401	519	28	18.2	35.1%	396 (76.3%)	12 (2.3%)	83 (16.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.2%)	57.9	283^rd of 743 public high schools	61.9%		75.7	144^th of 735 public high schools	80.4%	139			54.0	31.0						37.2		37.2	$13,391	$735	$12,656

Merrill High School

Merrill High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Merrill Community Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Merrill High School

Rank History for all students at Merrill High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Merrill High School

Rank History for Female students at Merrill High School

Rank History for Male students at Merrill High School

Rank History for White students at Merrill High School

Enrollment information for Merrill High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merrill High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Merrill High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merrill High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrill High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Merrill High School