Washington Elementary

Summary:

Washington Elementary is a public elementary school located in Merrill, Wisconsin, serving grades 3-4 with a total enrollment of 229 students. It is part of the Merrill Area School District, which is ranked 224 out of 428 school districts in Wisconsin and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Washington Elementary's academic performance has been mixed in recent years. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics were above the state averages, but below the district averages. Compared to nearby schools like Stettin Elementary, which is part of the Wausau School District, Washington Elementary's performance is generally lower. The school has also experienced fluctuations in its chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 3.8% in 2020-2021 to 15.6% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the 5.3% rate at Hewitt-Texas Elementary in the Wausau School District.

Washington Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 52.4% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023. The school's statewide ranking and rating have fluctuated over the years, suggesting that it may be facing challenges in maintaining consistent academic achievement. Understanding the practices and strategies employed by higher-performing nearby schools, such as Stettin Elementary and Hewitt-Texas Elementary, could provide valuable insights for Washington Elementary to enhance its own academic outcomes and address the factors contributing to chronic absenteeism.


Detail:

Public 3-4

 1900 E 6th St
       Merrill, WI  54452-1600


(715) 536-2373

District: Merrill Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
558th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,698 Help


Students who attend Washington Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Prairie River Middle
High:    Merrill High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.5 Help
Number of students:  229

Racial breakdown:

White:
86.0%
Two or more races:
8.7%
Hispanic:
3.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  52.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Washington Elementary ranks worse than 52.6% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.54. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (86%), two or more races (8.7%), Hispanic (3.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 52.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 11.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Washington Elementary employs 19.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Washington Elementary is $15,698.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Washington Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington Elementary 558th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Washington Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Merrill Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrill Area School District 224th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Washington Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 12.61 566th 633 10.6%
2006 39.97 529th 712 25.7%
2007 52.27 417th 689 39.5%
2008 42.33 747th 1021 26.8%
2009 46.94 687th 1030 33.3%
2010 56.99 547th 1045 47.7%
2011 46.91 728th 1046 30.4%
2012 62.04 442nd 1045 57.7%
2013 41.93 735th 1053 30.2%
2014 57.21 479th 1061 54.9%
2015 61.23 451st 1076 58.1%
2016 51.14 574th 1075 46.6%
2017 51.08 567th 1071 47.1%
2018 63.90 365th 1025 64.4%
2019 60.25 433rd 1037 58.2%
2021 72.28 253rd 1050 75.9%
2022 64.27 374th 1067 64.9%
2023 52.78 574th 1067 46.2%
2024 55.54 558th 1061 47.4%
See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 31.24 85th 119 28.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.44 365th 721 49.4%
2019 34.37 493rd 742 33.6%
2021 57.98 240th 746 67.8%
2022 43.01 412th 748 44.9%
2023 52.76 311th 770 59.6%
2024 60.67 252nd 790 68.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.35 364th 854 57.4%
2019 45.86 486th 874 44.4%
2021 81.71 63rd 847 92.6%
2022 65.01 233rd 859 72.9%
2023 59.42 306th 871 64.9%
2024 52.49 407th 866 53.0%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.46 263rd 997 73.6%
2019 76.76 182nd 1002 81.8%
2021 68.34 288th 1004 71.3%
2022 55.64 476th 1017 53.2%
2023 48.70 577th 1010 42.9%
2024 59.83 454th 1011 55.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.91 465th 997 53.4%
2019 42.50 654th 1002 34.7%
2021 72.24 226th 1003 77.5%
2022 70.57 268th 1017 73.6%
2023 56.41 491st 1011 51.4%
2024 50.59 578th 1012 42.9%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Washington Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 35.20 521st 718 27.4%
2021 51.90 337th 699 51.8%
2022 46.53 412th 704 41.5%
2023 35.53 525th 715 26.6%
2024 38.65 494th 727 32.0%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White 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.

Washington Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Washington Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 440 1 2 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 444
1990 395 1 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 398
1991 417 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 419
1992 399 1 1 0 1 n/a n/a 0 402
1993 388 0 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 390
1994 385 0 2 0 1 n/a n/a 0 388
1995 345 0 3 0 1 n/a n/a 0 349
1996 345 0 3 0 1 n/a n/a 0 349
1997 378 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 381
1998 324 1 0 2 6 n/a n/a 0 333
1999 326 1 0 1 4 n/a n/a 0 332
2000 305 1 3 2 7 n/a n/a 0 318
2001 296 1 3 1 3 n/a n/a 0 304
2002 284 1 4 3 0 n/a n/a 0 292
2003 284 1 4 3 0 n/a n/a 0 292
2004 277 0 1 4 3 n/a n/a 0 285
2005 250 1 3 5 4 n/a n/a 0 263
2006 234 2 4 5 4 n/a n/a 0 249
2007 239 4 5 6 4 n/a n/a 0 258
2008 281 2 5 6 3 n/a n/a 0 297
2009 269 2 7 8 7 n/a n/a 0 293
2010 261 2 5 11 5 n/a n/a 0 284
2011 273 1 1 14 4 1 2 0 296
2012 275 6 1 18 5 1 3 0 309
2013 284 6 3 18 2 2 3 0 318
2014 272 4 4 16 2 2 8 0 308
2015 286 3 2 14 2 3 10 0 320
2016 282 2 1 8 2 2 7 0 304
2017 276 3 1 10 1 2 8 0 301
2018 263 3 0 12 2 1 10 0 291
2019 247 4 1 11 1 0 14 0 278
2020 226 1 1 9 1 0 12 0 250
2021 196 1 0 6 1 0 13 0 217
2022 212 1 0 7 0 0 16 0 236
2023 197 1 1 7 3 0 20 0 229

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 Washington Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 444 23.0 19.3 24.8
1990 398 23.0 17.3 15.6
1991 419 25.0 16.7 13.4
1992 402 26.0 15.4 17.9
1993 390 26.6 14.7 15.4
1994 388 25.1 15.5 15.2
1995 349 24.1 14.5 16
1996 349 24.1 14.5 16
1997 381 23.1 16.5 17.6
1998 333 22.6 14.7 17.7
1999 332 21.2 15.7 27.7
2000 318 22.2 14.3 29.2
2001 304 24.3 12.5 28.9
2002 292 24.2 12.1 45.2
2003 292 24.2 12.1 45.2
2004 285 24.4 11.7 45.3
2005 263 23.0 11.4 n/a
2006 249 22.1 11.3 n/a
2007 258 22.7 11.4 44.2
2008 297 24.5 12.1 45.8
2009 293 24.3 12.1 42.3
2010 284 23.7 11.9 46.5
2011 296 23.8 12.4 49.7
2012 309 21.3 14.5 52.4
2013 318 22.0 14.4 49.1
2014 308 24.1 12.7 51
2015 320 n/a n/a 55.6
2016 304 23.0 13.2 49
2017 301 23.1 13.0 45.2
2018 291 23.9 12.1 45
2019 278 21.1 13.1 48.9
2020 250 20.1 12.4 45.2
2021 217 20.3 10.6 46.1
2022 236 22.5 10.4 51.3
2023 229 19.8 11.5 52.4

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 Washington Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 444 23.0 19.3 24.8
1990 398 23.0 17.3 15.6
1991 419 25.0 16.7 13.4
1992 402 26.0 15.4 17.9
1993 390 26.6 14.7 15.4
1994 388 25.1 15.5 15.2
1995 349 24.1 14.5 16
1996 349 24.1 14.5 16
1997 381 23.1 16.5 17.6
1998 333 22.6 14.7 17.7
1999 332 21.2 15.7 27.7
2000 318 22.2 14.3 29.2
2001 304 24.3 12.5 28.9
2002 292 24.2 12.1 45.2
2003 292 24.2 12.1 45.2
2004 285 24.4 11.7 45.3
2005 263 23.0 11.4 n/a
2006 249 22.1 11.3 n/a
2007 258 22.7 11.4 44.2
2008 297 24.5 12.1 45.8
2009 293 24.3 12.1 42.3
2010 284 23.7 11.9 46.5
2011 296 23.8 12.4 49.7
2012 309 21.3 14.5 52.4
2013 318 22.0 14.4 49.1
2014 308 24.1 12.7 51
2015 320 n/a n/a 55.6
2016 304 23.0 13.2 49
2017 301 23.1 13.0 45.2
2018 291 23.9 12.1 45
2019 278 21.1 13.1 48.9
2020 250 20.1 12.4 45.2
2021 217 20.3 10.6 46.1
2022 236 22.5 10.4 51.3
2023 229 19.8 11.5 52.4

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 Washington Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $304 (2.5%) $11,892 (97.5%) $12,196
2020 $474 (3.5%) $12,983 (96.5%) $13,457
2021 $1,547 (9.9%) $14,151 (90.1%) $15,698

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Washington 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 433rd of 1037 Elementary schoolsRanks 574th of 1067 Elementary schools
 12%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Washington Elementary)43.243.6
 0.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Area School District)43.446.9
 3.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)39.537.9
 1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Washington Elementary)59.156.4
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Merrill Area School District)56.157.7
 1.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)50.548.8
 1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Washington Elementary)45.845.1
 0.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Merrill Area School District)45.548.5
 3.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)43.945.8
 1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Washington Elementary)45.847.8
 1.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Merrill Area School District)42.947.1
 4.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)46.246.5
 0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Washington Elementary)47.950.5
 2.5%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Merrill Area School District)50.555.9
 5.4%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)53.459.7
 6.4%
4th Grade Science (Washington Elementary)52.146.9
 5.2%
   4th Grade Science (Merrill Area School District)5250
 2%
   4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)53.952.1
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students278229
 17.6%
African American41
 75%
American Indian13
 200%
Asian11
Hispanic117
 36.4%
Pacific Islander00
White247197
 20.2%
Two or More Races1420
 42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.9%52.4%
 3.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Washington Elementary

Students at Washington Elementary are 86% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Students who attend Washington Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Prairie River Middle
High : Merrill High

Washington Elementary ranks 558th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 229 students attended Washington Elementary.


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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.





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