Enrollment
304
Elementary
DISTRICT 342 · STATE 369
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BRANDYWINE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS·NCES 260660000470
Merritt Elementary School
1620 LASALLE AVE, NILES, MI 49120 · (269) 684-6511 · Berrien County
GRADES PK–02ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL304 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.1:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.3:1 · STATE 15.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
222 students
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 55%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 116 | 38% |
| Grade 1 | 94 | 31% |
| Grade 2 | 94 | 31% |
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 56% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Merritt Elementary School→Brandywine Elementary School→Brandywine Middle School→Brandywine Senior High School
Based on grade levels within Brandywine Community Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Schools most like Merritt Elementary School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt Elementary School this school | 304 | 73.0% | N/A |
| Pine Trails Elementary School ALLEGAN | 326 | 74.5% | 32.4% |
| Cedar Crest Elementary School GREENVILLE | 281 | 69.0% | 56.5% |
| East Elementary School CHEBOYGAN | 301 | 75.7% | N/A |
| Haas Elementary School GENESEE | 326 | 77.3% | N/A |
| Bangor Central School BAY CITY | 332 | 68.1% | 38.3% |
Matched among Michigan elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Merritt Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Berrien County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 304 | #1,074 of 1,630 | #18 of 30 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.1:1 | #289 of 1,424 | #6 of 23 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.5% | #646 of 1,424 | #14 of 23 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 73.0% | #468 of 1,563 | #10 of 26 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +10.1% | #181 of 440 | #1 of 10 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
304
+29 (+11%) vs 2020
-11% since 2000-01, when it was 340
Student : Teacher
14.1:1
was 16.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 304 | 21.6 | 14.1:1 | 73% (222) |
| 2023-24 | 320 | 20.8 | 15.4:1 | 76% (244) |
| 2022-23 | 304 | 20 | 15.2:1 | 75% (228) |
| 2020-21 | 275 | 17 | 16.2:1 | 73% (200) |
| 2017-18 | 276 | 19.5 | 14.2:1 | 65% (180) |
| 2015-16 | 314 | 18 | 17.4:1 | 67% (210) |
| 2010-11 | 326 | 16 | 20.4:1 | 58% (189) |
| 2000-01 | 340 | 17 | 20.0:1 | 36% (122) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Merritt Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 10% (276 to 304); teachers up 11% (19.5 to 21.6).
About Merritt Elementary School
Merritt Elementary School is a small elementary school with an address in NILES, Michigan. The school has 304 students in 2024-25 across pre-K through 2.
Brandywine Community Schools enrolls 1,301 students in 5 schools, including Merritt Elementary School.
More than half of enrollment at Merritt Elementary School is White: 77%. Other groups include 10% multiracial, 8% Hispanic, and 3% Black. In Berrien County overall, the White share is about 74%. The diversity index for Merritt Elementary School is 38%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Teacher count: 21.6 full-time equivalents. Student-to-teacher ratio: 14.1:1. The gap from the 15.8:1 average for elementary schools in Michigan is 1.8 students per teacher. Eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, often used to gauge student poverty, is 73%. The gap from the 55% average for public schools in Berrien County is 18 points.
Berrien County is the school's county. There, median household income comes to about $65,425, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 11% of people live in poverty. There are 75 public schools in the county, enrolling about 21,027, Merritt Elementary School among them.
Merritt Elementary School's nearest public school is Brandywine Elementary School (about 0.5 miles). In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Merritt Elementary School.
On the NCES locale scale, the school is Suburb: Large.
An 11% increase took enrollment from 275 in 2020-21 to 304 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio went down from 16.2:1 to 14.1:1.
The Merritt Elementary School discussion page is a place for homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Berrien County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
153,288
Census ACS
Median income
$65,425
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
75
21,027 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Brandywine Community Schools
- Brandywine Elementary SchoolElementary · 379 students
- Brandywine Senior High SchoolHigh · 366 students
- Brandywine Middle SchoolMiddle · 183 students
- Brandywine Innovation AcademyHigh · 69 students
Other schools in NILES
- Niles Senior High SchoolHigh · 828 students
- HowardEllis Elementary SchoolElementary · 529 students
- Ballard Elementary SchoolElementary · 516 students
- Ring Lardner Middle SchoolMiddle · 510 students
- Eastside Connections SchoolElementary · 403 students
- Brandywine Elementary SchoolElementary · 379 students
Other Merritt Elementary schools
2 other US public schools in 3 states are named Merritt Elementary. Merritt Elementary School is the 3rd largest of the 3.
- Merritt Elementary SchoolElk City, OK · 621 students
- MERRITT ELEMENTARYMOUNTAIN IRON, MN · 354 students
Nearby schools
- Brandywine Elementary School0.5 mi · 379
- Brandywine Senior High School1.5 mi · 366
- Brandywine Middle School1.5 mi · 183
- Brandywine Innovation Academy1.7 mi · 69
- Southside Special Educ School2.8 mi · 37
- WAY Niles3.1 mi · 95
Frequently asked questions
About Merritt Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Merritt Elementary School?
Merritt Elementary School enrolls approximately 304 students in grades PK-02.
What grades does Merritt Elementary School serve?
Merritt Elementary School serves grades PK-02.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merritt Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Merritt Elementary School is approximately 14.1:1 (22 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Merritt Elementary School?
Student demographics at Merritt Elementary School are roughly 77% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Black, 10% Two or more.
What district is Merritt Elementary School in?
Merritt Elementary School is part of Brandywine Community Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.