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Schools›Minnesota›MOUNTAIN IRON
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 270000101610

MERRITT ELEMENTARY

8659 UNITY DRIVE, MOUNTAIN IRON, MN 55768 · (218) 735-8271 · St. Louis County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL354 STUDENTS
Enrollment
354
Elementary
DISTRICT 319 · STATE 344
Student : Teacher
15.6:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.5:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
45%
160 students
DISTRICT 42% · STATE 48%
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
Pre-K
48
Kindergarten
42
Grade 1
41
Grade 2
41
Grade 3
42
Grade 4
42
Grade 5
48
Grade 6
50
Student demographics
White
30787%
DISTRICT 85% · STATE 60%
Hispanic
134%
DISTRICT 4% · STATE 12%
Black
10%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 12%
Two+
298%
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 7%
Native American
41%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 2%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
18753%
Female
16747%

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Test scores

MCA 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds Standards
English Language Arts
58.0%
MN avg 49.7%
Math
52.3%
MN avg 45.3%
Source: MCA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
52.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
40.8%
based on MN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+11.8pp
above demographic expectation
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
354
+61 (+21%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
15.6:1
was 17.4:1
% White
87%
was 84%
% Hispanic
4%
was 6%
% Black
0%
was 1%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About MERRITT ELEMENTARY

Located at 8659 UNITY DRIVE, in MOUNTAIN IRON, Minnesota, MERRITT ELEMENTARY is a medium-sized K-5 school that teaches 354 students (grades pre-K through 6), overseen by MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT.

MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 2 schools in total, collectively educating 637 students. MERRITT ELEMENTARY is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, MERRITT ELEMENTARY shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (87%). The remainder is composed of 8% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. Compared to St. Louis County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.6:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. About 45% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), MERRITT ELEMENTARY tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 40.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 52.6%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (St. Louis County) records that median household income runs about $70,069, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. MERRITT ELEMENTARY is one of 100 public schools in St. Louis County (combined enrollment of about 23,921 students).

Nearest neighbor: MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SECONDARY, around 0.0 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), MERRITT ELEMENTARY ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 34.4%.

The school occupies a town-center site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at MERRITT ELEMENTARY has ticked up 21%, going from 293 students in 2018 to 354 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 17.4:1 in 2018 to 15.6:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the MERRITT ELEMENTARY community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.

St. Louis County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
200,123
Census ACS
Median income
$70,069
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
100
23,921 students

Quick facts

School name
MERRITT ELEMENTARY
District
MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Address
8659 UNITY DRIVE, MOUNTAIN IRON, MN 55768
Phone
(218) 735-8271
County
St. Louis County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
PK–06
Total enrollment
354
Teachers (FTE)
23
Student–teacher ratio
15.6:1
Free/Reduced lunch
160 (45%)
Locale
33-Town: Remote
NCES ID
270000101610
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Other schools in MOUNTAIN IRON
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About MERRITT ELEMENTARY
What is the total enrollment at MERRITT ELEMENTARY?
MERRITT ELEMENTARY enrolls approximately 354 students in grades PK-06.
Is MERRITT ELEMENTARY an elementary, middle, or high school?
MERRITT ELEMENTARY is an elementary school covering grades PK-06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at MERRITT ELEMENTARY?
The student-to-teacher ratio at MERRITT ELEMENTARY is approximately 15.6:1 (23 FTE teachers).
How diverse is MERRITT ELEMENTARY?
MERRITT ELEMENTARY reports a student body of 87% White, 4% Hispanic, 0% Black, 8% Two or more.
Who oversees MERRITT ELEMENTARY?
MERRITT ELEMENTARY is overseen by MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL SCHOOL DISTRICT in St. Louis County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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