Merrimack Valley High School

Q: Is Merrimack Valley High School a good school?

Merrimack Valley High School ranks 44 th of 87 New Hampshire high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Merrimack Valley High School is a public high school serving 784 students in grades 9-12 in Penacook, New Hampshire. The school is part of the Merrimack Valley School District, which is ranked 113 out of 163 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Merrimack Valley High School consistently underperforms compared to the state and its own district averages on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 28% of students were proficient or better in Math and 58% in Reading, compared to the state averages of 41% and 53% respectively. The school has a low statewide ranking, typically in the bottom half of New Hampshire high schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has been 1 or 2 stars out of 5 for most years, indicating below-average performance. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as special education students, who ranked 26th out of 29 New Hampshire high schools with a 1-star rating.

Merrimack Valley High School's academic performance lags behind many of the nearby high schools, such as Bow High School and Hopkinton High School, which consistently rank in the top 25% of New Hampshire high schools and have significantly higher proficiency rates on standardized tests. Additionally, the school has a less diverse student population, with over 92% of students identifying as White, which is not reflective of the broader demographics of the state. Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio, this does not seem to translate into improved academic outcomes for Merrimack Valley High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

106 Village St.
Penacook, NH 03303-1953

(603) 753-4311

District: Merrimack Valley School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
44^th of 87 New Hampshire High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,620

Feeder schools for Merrimack Valley High School:

Elementary:	Boscawen Elementary School
	Loudon Elementary School
	Penacook Elementary School
	Salisbury Elementary School
	More...
	Webster Elementary School
Middle:	Merrimack Valley Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 784

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.2%

African American:

2.4%

Two or more races:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 25%

See top rated New Hampshire high schools

Compare Merrimack Valley High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Merrimack Valley High School ranks worse than 50.6% of high schools in New Hampshire. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.53. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92.2%), African American (2.4%), two or more races (2.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 25% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merrimack Valley High School is 14. (See more...)

Compare Merrimack Valley High School employs 56 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merrimack Valley High School is $15,620.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merrimack Valley High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrimack Valley High School 44^th of 87 New Hampshire public high schools. (See Merrimack Valley High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Merrimack Valley School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrimack Valley School District 113^th of 163 New Hampshire school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Merrimack Valley High School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Merrimack Valley High School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Merrimack Valley High School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NH State Percentile
2009	62.90	24^th	79	69.6%
2010	71.82	18^th	81	77.8%
2011	48.10	45^th	81	44.4%
2012	47.93	48^th	83	42.2%
2013	44.90	50^th	83	39.8%
2014	33.78	65^th	85	23.5%
2015	26.13	57^th	77	26.0%
2016	29.65	64^th	84	23.8%
2017	42.95	52^nd	82	36.6%
2018	28.80	60^th	81	25.9%
2019	44.68	42^nd	71	40.8%
2021	22.64	71^st	84	15.5%
2022	30.25	61^st	85	28.2%
2023	22.83	67^th	85	21.2%
2024	40.53	44^th	87	49.4%

See the entire list of New Hampshire High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NH State Percentile
2019	20.63	26^th	31	16.1%
2022	27.22	24^th	32	25.0%
2023	19.72	26^th	29	10.3%

See the entire list of Best New Hampshire High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NH State Percentile
2018	21.52	46^th	60	23.3%
2019	44.35	32^nd	63	49.2%
2021	18.05	53^rd	59	10.2%
2022	29.18	58^th	79	26.6%
2023	25.60	62^nd	78	20.5%
2024	49.76	38^th	81	53.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NH State Percentile
2018	37.62	36^th	61	41.0%
2019	45.43	31^st	61	49.2%
2021	24.80	46^th	60	23.3%
2022	31.24	54^th	78	30.8%
2023	23.96	61^st	78	21.8%
2024	32.39	51^st	82	37.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NH State Percentile
2018	29.30	44^th	64	31.3%
2019	44.24	36^th	66	45.5%
2021	20.12	58^th	67	13.4%
2022	31.66	62^nd	85	27.1%
2023	21.19	66^th	83	20.5%
2024	38.10	49^th	87	43.7%

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

Data source: test scores: New Hampshire 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: New Hampshire Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, December 4, 2022

Big changes need to happen in the school. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, February 8, 2015

Outstanding administration and dedicated teachers. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Merrimack Valley High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1991	611	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	615
1992	665	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	670
1993	658	3	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	665
1994	686	2	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	693
1995	726	4	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	741
1996	726	4	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	741
1997	763	5	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	778
1998	794	5	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	812
1999	839	3	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	852
2000	821	2	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	830
2001	861	3	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	873
2002	839	2	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	850
2003	839	2	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	850
2004	886	4	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	896
2005	887	6	4	3	1	n/a	n/a	901
2006	897	8	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	918
2007	920	9	7	4	3	n/a	n/a	943
2008	860	8	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	877
2009	870	7	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	890
2010	872	14	6	8	7	0	0	907
2011	852	12	7	12	2	0	2	887
2012	866	9	3	9	0	0	3	890
2013	837	12	3	11	0	0	4	867
2014	829	12	2	8	1	0	6	858
2015	814	8	5	5	2	0	6	840
2016	820	8	4	4	4	1	4	845
2017	810	9	3	8	6	2	2	840
2018	796	7	6	12	4	2	5	832
2019	779	9	4	15	6	5	1	819
2020	751	15	6	15	4	3	1	795
2021	720	15	10	12	5	3	4	769
2022	739	18	7	10	5	2	12	793
2023	723	19	8	15	2	0	17	784

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 Merrimack Valley High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	615	40.4	15.2	1.1
1992	670	34.8	19.2	4.5
1993	665	40.0	16.6	5.1
1994	693	43.0	16.1	6.5
1995	741	41.0	18.1	4.9
1996	741	41.0	18.1	4.9
1997	778	47.9	16.2	5.8
1998	812	52.0	15.6	5
1999	852	52.0	16.4	4.7
2000	830	51.0	16.3	8.3
2001	873	55.0	15.9	9.9
2002	850	62.0	13.7	15.9
2003	850	62.0	13.7	15.9
2004	896	59.0	15.2	11.3
2005	901	59.9	15.0	12.1
2006	918	58.8	15.6	13.3
2007	943	59.1	16.0	13.7
2008	877	55.9	15.7	15.3
2009	890	60.2	14.8	17.2
2010	907	59.3	15.3	21.9
2011	887	57.4	15.4	22.1
2012	890	57.4	15.5	22.6
2013	867	57.0	15.2	23.6
2014	858	55.7	15.4	26.9
2015	840	57.0	14.7	30.1
2016	845	54.0	15.6	26.6
2017	840	57.0	14.7	22.7
2018	832	56.0	14.8	23.8
2019	819	60.0	13.6	22.6
2020	795	58.0	13.7	18
2021	769	58.0	13.2	10.1
2022	793	57.0	13.9	13.5
2023	784	56.0	14.0	25

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 Merrimack Valley High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	615	40.4	15.2	1.1
1992	670	34.8	19.2	4.5
1993	665	40.0	16.6	5.1
1994	693	43.0	16.1	6.5
1995	741	41.0	18.1	4.9
1996	741	41.0	18.1	4.9
1997	778	47.9	16.2	5.8
1998	812	52.0	15.6	5
1999	852	52.0	16.4	4.7
2000	830	51.0	16.3	8.3
2001	873	55.0	15.9	9.9
2002	850	62.0	13.7	15.9
2003	850	62.0	13.7	15.9
2004	896	59.0	15.2	11.3
2005	901	59.9	15.0	12.1
2006	918	58.8	15.6	13.3
2007	943	59.1	16.0	13.7
2008	877	55.9	15.7	15.3
2009	890	60.2	14.8	17.2
2010	907	59.3	15.3	21.9
2011	887	57.4	15.4	22.1
2012	890	57.4	15.5	22.6
2013	867	57.0	15.2	23.6
2014	858	55.7	15.4	26.9
2015	840	57.0	14.7	30.1
2016	845	54.0	15.6	26.6
2017	840	57.0	14.7	22.7
2018	832	56.0	14.8	23.8
2019	819	60.0	13.6	22.6
2020	795	58.0	13.7	18
2021	769	58.0	13.2	10.1
2022	793	57.0	13.9	13.5
2023	784	56.0	14.0	25

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 Merrimack Valley High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$15,620

Data source: New Hampshire Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrimack Valley 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 42^nd of 71 High schools	Ranks 67^th of 85 High schools	19.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Science (Merrimack Valley High School)	37	25	12%
11th Grade Science (Merrimack Valley School District)	37	25	12%
11th Grade Science (New Hampshire)	41	41
11th Grade Mathematics (Merrimack Valley High School)	38	19	19%
11th Grade Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)	37	19	18%
11th Grade Mathematics (New Hampshire)	42	35	7%
11th Grade Reading (Merrimack Valley High School)	62	50	12%
11th Grade Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)	61	50	11%
11th Grade Reading (New Hampshire)	63	59	4%
All Grades Mathematics (Merrimack Valley High School)	38	19	19%
All Grades Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)	43	36	7%
All Grades Mathematics (New Hampshire)	48	42	6%
All Grades Reading (Merrimack Valley High School)	62	50	12%
All Grades Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)	51	44	7%
All Grades Reading (New Hampshire)	56	52	4%
All Grades Science (Merrimack Valley High School)	37	25	12%
All Grades Science (Merrimack Valley School District)	38	27	11%
All Grades Science (New Hampshire)	40	37	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	819	784	4.3%
African American	9	19	111.1%
American Indian	6	2	66.7%
Asian	4	8	100%
Hispanic	15	15
Pacific Islander	5	0	100%
White	779	723	7.2%
Two or More Races	1	17	1600%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.6%	25%	2.4%

Schools Near Merrimack Valley High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Reading (2024)	NH SAS Mathematics (2024)	NH SAS Reading (2024)	NH SAS 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	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Reading 11th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 11th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Merrimack Valley High School	Public	9-12	106 Village St.	Penacook	03303	Merrimack County	Merrimack Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 753-4311	784	56	14.0	25.0%	723 (92.2%)	19 (2.4%)	15 (1.9%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.2%)	40.5	44^th of 87 public high schools	49.4%		22.8	67^th of 85 public high schools	21.2%	23	28.0	58.0	28.0	58.0	32.0	32.0	$15,620
CSI Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	26 Washington Street	Penacook	03303	Merrimack County	CSI Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(603) 753-0194	32	2	14.5	15.6%	30 (93.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)
Concord High School	Public	9-12	170 Warren St.	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 225-0800	1,467	111	13.2	28.2%	1,187 (80.9%)	129 (8.8%)	56 (3.8%)	77 (5.2%)	12 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.4%)	30.5	60^th of 87 public high schools	31.0%		35.9	53^rd of 85 public high schools	37.6%	7	20.0	56.0	20.0	56.0	29.0	29.0	$17,927
Hopkinton High School	Public	9-12	297 Park Ave.	Contoocook	03229	Merrimack County	Hopkinton School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 746-4167	305	26	11.9	5.6%	276 (90.5%)	5 (1.6%)	9 (3.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	80.6	13^th of 87 public high schools	85.1%		82.8	14^th of 85 public high schools	83.5%	1	37.0	73.0	37.0	73.0	63.0	63.0	$20,330
Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School (H)	Public, Charter	9-12	157 Chichester Rd	Loudon	03307	Merrimack County	Benjamin Franklin Academy Chartered Public School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(603) 325-7688	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bow High School	Public	9-12	55 Falcon Way	Bow	03304	Merrimack County	Bow School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 228-2210	604	35	17.2	4.3%	544 (90.1%)	5 (0.8%)	21 (3.5%)	16 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	75.2	18^th of 87 public high schools	79.3%		75.1	18^th of 85 public high schools	78.8%		36.0	71.0	36.0	71.0	55.0	55.0	$17,666
Pembroke Academy	Public	9-12	209 Academy Rd.	Pembroke	03275	Merrimack County	Pembroke School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 485-7881	783	59	13.2	21.2%	698 (89.1%)	13 (1.7%)	19 (2.4%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.7%)	26.2	65^th of 87 public high schools	25.3%		29.5	60^th of 85 public high schools	29.4%	5	21.0	53.0	21.0	53.0	25.0	25.0	$15,078
Winnisquam Regional High School	Public	9-12	435 W. Main St.	Tilton	03276	Belknap County	Winnisquam Regional School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 286-4531	421	30	14.0	30.4%	383 (91.0%)	9 (2.1%)	8 (1.9%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	16.2	79^th of 87 public high schools	9.2%		30.9	58^th of 85 public high schools	31.8%	21	14.0	48.0	14.0	48.0	21.0	21.0	$19,188
Franklin High School	Public	9-12	119 Central St.	Franklin	03235	Merrimack County	Franklin School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 934-5441	270	22	12.2	43.7%	249 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	18.8	73^rd of 87 public high schools	16.1%		5.8	84^th of 85 public high schools	1.2%	11	12.0	48.0	12.0	48.0	28.0	28.0	$21,001
Compass Classical Academy Charter School (H)	Public, Charter	9-12	5 Elm Street	Northfield	03276	Belknap County	Compass Classical Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(603) 729-3370	27	13	2.0	59.3%	23 (85.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (11.1%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrimack Valley High School

Merrimack Valley High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Boscawen Elementary School
Elementary : Loudon Elementary School
Elementary : Penacook Elementary School
Elementary : Salisbury Elementary School
Elementary : Webster Elementary School
Middle : Merrimack Valley Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Merrimack Valley High School?

Students at Merrimack Valley High School are 92% White, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Merrimack Valley High School

Merrimack Valley High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Merrimack Valley School District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Merrimack Valley High School

Rank History for all students at Merrimack Valley High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Merrimack Valley High School

Rank History for Female students at Merrimack Valley High School

Rank History for Male students at Merrimack Valley High School

Rank History for White students at Merrimack Valley High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Merrimack Valley High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merrimack Valley High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Merrimack Valley High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merrimack Valley High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrimack Valley High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Merrimack Valley High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrimack Valley High School

Rate Merrimack Valley High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!