Merrill Elementary

Summary:

Merrill Elementary is a public elementary school located in Beloit, Wisconsin, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 180. The school is part of the Beloit School District, which is ranked 423 out of 428 school districts in Wisconsin and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merrill Elementary consistently performs significantly below the state and district averages in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 0% of 3rd graders, 3.23% of 4th graders, and 12.5% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 52.07%, 53.42%, and 53.75%, respectively. The school's performance in mathematics is also very low, with only 12.5% of 3rd graders, 3.23% of 4th graders, and 15.63% of 5th graders achieving proficiency, compared to the state averages of 56.58%, 55.05%, and 54.24%. Merrill Elementary also has consistently high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 24% in 2019-2020 to 64% in 2020-2021, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Merrill Elementary to other nearby schools in the Beloit School District, it becomes clear that Merrill is the lowest-performing school in the district. For example, Converse Elementary and Todd Elementary both outperform Merrill Elementary in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, Merrill Elementary's performance for its English Language Learner students is particularly concerning, as it ranks 255 out of 269 Wisconsin elementary schools for this subgroup.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1635 Nelson Ave
Beloit, WI 53511

(608) 361-2605

District: Beloit School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1029^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,789

Students who attend Merrill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Aldrich Intermediate
High:	Memorial High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 270

Racial breakdown:

African American:

53.3%

Hispanic:

21.9%

White:

13.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.6%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Merrill Elementary ranks worse than 97% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks last among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Beloit School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.47. (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 Student population at Merrill Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (53.3%), Hispanic (21.9%), White (13.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Beloit School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merrill Elementary is 11.4, which is the lowest among 7 elementary schools in the Beloit School District! (See more...)

Compare Merrill Elementary employs 23.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merrill Elementary is $18,789, which is the highest among 7 elementary schools in the Beloit School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merrill Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrill Elementary 1029^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Merrill Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Beloit School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Beloit School District 423^rd of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Merrill Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Merrill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	7.22	588^th	633	7.1%
2005	20.74	529^th	632	16.3%
2006	5.95	667^th	712	6.3%
2007	7.06	646^th	689	6.2%
2008	2.55	992^nd	1021	2.8%
2009	6.51	982^nd	1030	4.7%
2010	1.71	1025^th	1045	1.9%
2011	22.06	934^th	1046	10.7%
2024	2.47	1029^th	1061	3.0%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Merrill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.89	255^th	269	5.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Female students at Merrill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	3.25	974^th	1011	3.7%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Merrill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	3.06	982^nd	1012	3.0%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Merrill Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	34.65	86^th	137	37.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 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: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Merrill Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	80	207	2	18	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	307
1989	96	232	2	11	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	341
1990	100	230	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	343
1991	84	252	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	347
1992	79	263	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	360
1993	94	289	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1994	66	225	7	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
1995	46	239	4	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	312
1996	46	239	4	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	312
1997	29	267	2	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
1998	48	260	3	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	345
1999	55	247	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
2000	51	228	3	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
2001	52	236	5	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	327
2002	42	213	3	37	1	n/a	n/a	0	296
2003	42	213	3	37	1	n/a	n/a	0	296
2004	52	191	2	44	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
2005	50	197	0	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	286
2006	29	177	0	56	1	n/a	n/a	0	263
2007	39	179	1	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	295
2008	35	173	1	91	1	n/a	n/a	0	301
2009	37	164	0	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	298
2010	26	153	0	90	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
2011	24	120	0	89	0	1	27	0	261
2012	30	113	0	103	2	0	13	0	261
2013	38	95	0	101	2	0	17	0	253
2014	32	122	0	112	2	0	25	0	293
2015	36	110	0	116	5	1	31	0	299
2016	35	86	0	98	7	2	26	0	254
2017	43	113	0	83	1	0	16	0	256
2018	42	100	0	82	0	1	23	1	249
2019	46	85	0	63	0	1	14	0	209
2020	35	99	0	55	1	0	22	0	212
2021	32	85	0	57	1	0	20	0	195
2022	23	89	0	42	0	0	18	1	173
2023	21	90	0	45	0	0	24	0	180
2024	37	144	0	59	0	0	30	0	270

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 Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	307	20.3	15.1	28.3
1989	341	19.0	17.9	43.7
1990	343	18.3	18.7	48.7
1991	347	19.0	18.2	27.4
1992	360	18.5	19.4	25
1993	397	20.5	19.4	25.2
1994	309	18.5	16.7	32
1995	312	17.6	17.7	29.8
1996	312	17.6	17.7	29.8
1997	328	19.6	16.7	30.5
1998	345	20.0	17.3	27.8
1999	336	19.6	17.1	31.5
2000	315	20.7	15.2	41
2001	327	22.0	14.9	41.6
2002	296	19.6	15.1	80.4
2003	296	19.6	15.1	80.4
2004	289	19.1	15.1	75.1
2005	286	18.7	15.3	n/a
2006	263	18.4	14.3	n/a
2007	295	18.2	16.2	85.8
2008	301	19.9	15.1	92.4
2009	298	22.9	13.0	90.3
2010	269	23.7	11.3	95.5
2011	261	20.3	12.8	92.7
2012	261	26.5	9.8	95.4
2013	253	24.2	10.4	96.8
2014	293	25.3	11.5	98.6
2015	299	n/a	n/a	93.6
2016	254	23.0	11.0	95.3
2017	256	24.1	10.5	94.5
2018	249	20.9	11.9	92.4
2019	209	20.2	10.3	89.5
2020	212	17.1	12.3	90.1
2021	195	17.0	11.4	90.3
2022	173	21.7	7.9	91.3
2023	180	18.0	10.0	87.8
2024	270	23.5	11.4	85.6

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	307	20.3	15.1	28.3
1989	341	19.0	17.9	43.7
1990	343	18.3	18.7	48.7
1991	347	19.0	18.2	27.4
1992	360	18.5	19.4	25
1993	397	20.5	19.4	25.2
1994	309	18.5	16.7	32
1995	312	17.6	17.7	29.8
1996	312	17.6	17.7	29.8
1997	328	19.6	16.7	30.5
1998	345	20.0	17.3	27.8
1999	336	19.6	17.1	31.5
2000	315	20.7	15.2	41
2001	327	22.0	14.9	41.6
2002	296	19.6	15.1	80.4
2003	296	19.6	15.1	80.4
2004	289	19.1	15.1	75.1
2005	286	18.7	15.3	n/a
2006	263	18.4	14.3	n/a
2007	295	18.2	16.2	85.8
2008	301	19.9	15.1	92.4
2009	298	22.9	13.0	90.3
2010	269	23.7	11.3	95.5
2011	261	20.3	12.8	92.7
2012	261	26.5	9.8	95.4
2013	253	24.2	10.4	96.8
2014	293	25.3	11.5	98.6
2015	299	n/a	n/a	93.6
2016	254	23.0	11.0	95.3
2017	256	24.1	10.5	94.5
2018	249	20.9	11.9	92.4
2019	209	20.2	10.3	89.5
2020	212	17.1	12.3	90.1
2021	195	17.0	11.4	90.3
2022	173	21.7	7.9	91.3
2023	180	18.0	10.0	87.8
2024	270	23.5	11.4	85.6

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 Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,500 (8.9%)	$15,269 (91.1%)	$16,769
2020	$1,360 (8.2%)	$15,312 (91.8%)	$16,672
2021	$2,011 (10.7%)	$16,779 (89.3%)	$18,789

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merrill Elementary

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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Elementary)	17.5	3	14.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Beloit School District)	24.9	12	12.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Merrill Elementary)	25	6.1	18.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Beloit School District)	36.3	18	18.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	209	180	13.9%
African American	85	90	5.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	63	45	28.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	46	21	54.3%
Two or More Races	14	24	71.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.5%	87.8%	1.7%

Schools Near Merrill Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1635 Nelson Ave	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-2605	270	24	11.4	85.6%	37 (13.7%)	144 (53.3%)	59 (21.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (11.1%)	2.5	1029^th of 1061 public elementary schools	3.0%					(n/a)	0.0	3.2	12.5		12.5	3.2	15.6		16.1	9.7	$18,789	$2,011	$16,779
Todd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1621 Oakwood Ave	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-4205	477	35	13.6	65.8%	170 (35.6%)	73 (15.3%)	178 (37.3%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.1%)	12.5	936^th of 1061 public elementary schools	11.8%					(n/a)	25.0	23.7	32.7		29.4	26.3	18.2		42.1	26.3	$16,377	$1,985	$14,391
Robinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Cranston Rd	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-2805	473	33	14.2	68.7%	127 (26.8%)	80 (16.9%)	202 (42.7%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (12.7%)	9.7	949^th of 1061 public elementary schools	10.6%					(n/a)	25.5	22.2	23.4		37.3	14.3	12.8		34.9	27.0	$15,448	$1,580	$13,868
Hackett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	625 Eighth St	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-2405	411	34	12.0	80.0%	88 (21.4%)	93 (22.6%)	183 (44.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.7%)	4.4	996^th of 1061 public elementary schools	6.1%					(n/a)	20.8	15.7	13.1		25.9	9.8	4.9		17.7	11.8	$16,920	$1,740	$15,180
Beloit Early Learning	Public	PK	910 Townline Rd	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-4077	36	1	36.0	80.6%	13 (36.1%)	10 (27.8%)	10 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)								(n/a)											$13,744	$1,070	$12,674
Converse Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1602 Townline Ave	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-2105	437	33	13.3	76.7%	177 (40.5%)	78 (17.8%)	127 (29.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (12.4%)	18	902^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	15.0%					(n/a)	32.3	36.7	23.6		39.4	38.8	12.7		46.9	26.5	$15,953	$1,763	$14,190
Gaston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1515 W Grand Ave	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 361-2305	347	26	13.5	78.1%	140 (40.3%)	41 (11.8%)	102 (29.4%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	56 (16.1%)	9.6	950^th of 1061 public elementary schools	10.5%					(n/a)	17.5	24.4	29.4		24.6	22.0	19.6		33.3	26.8	$16,197	$1,764	$14,433
Powers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	620 Hillside Dr	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit Turner School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 364-6360	334	22	15.0	43.1%	247 (74.0%)	7 (2.1%)	51 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.7%)								(n/a)											$9,383	$723	$8,661
Garden Prairie Intermediate School	Public	2-5	3245 S Bartells Dr	Beloit	53511	Rock County	Beloit Turner School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 364-6372	497	27	18.3	41.6%	359 (72.2%)	11 (2.2%)	75 (15.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (10.3%)	51.6	609^th of 1061 public elementary schools	42.6%		50.8	597^th of 1067 public elementary schools	44.0%	12	65.3	49.6	48.8		62.7	47.2	57.4		56.1	48.8
Clinton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	115 Milwaukee Road	Clinton	53525	Rock County	Clinton Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 676-2211	547	40	13.6	44.8%	452 (82.6%)	13 (2.4%)	75 (13.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	52.4	603^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	43.2%		56.5	506^th of 1067 public elementary schools	52.6%	97	50.0	52.6	45.0	49.1	61.4	61.4	41.7	45.6	73.7	63.2	$11,459	$818	$10,641

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill Elementary

What district is Merrill Elementary in?

Beloit School District

What is the racial makeup of Merrill Elementary?

Students at Merrill Elementary are 53% African American, 22% Hispanic, 14% White, 11% Two or more races.

Is Merrill Elementary a good school?

Merrill Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.0% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

How many students attend Merrill Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 270 students attended Merrill Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Merrill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Merrill Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Aldrich Intermediate
High : Memorial High

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

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.