Enrollment
246
Middle
DISTRICT 363 · STATE 643
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MERKEL ISD·NCES 483034003397
Merkel Middle School
302 ASH, MERKEL, TX 79536 · (325) 928-5511 · Taylor County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL246 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
9.3:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.3:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
102 students
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 101 | 41% |
| Grade 7 | 69 | 28% |
| Grade 8 | 76 | 31% |
Student demographics
47%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 63% · 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
Merkel Middle School→Merkel High School
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within MERKEL ISD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
53.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +33.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
29.0%
TX avg 45.3% . -11.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 29 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 33 points since 2020, while math scores are down about 11 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 27.0% | 26.0% | 26.0% | 21.0% |
| Mathematics | 4.0% | 25.0% | 31.0% | 40.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 53.0% | 29.0% |
| 2024-25 | 48.0% | 33.0% |
| 2023-24 | 48.0% | 28.0% |
| 2022-23 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2020-21 | 20.0% | 40.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
42.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
56.0%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-13.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 42% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 56% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Merkel Middle School
Merkel Middle School's state test result (42.3% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merkel Middle School this school | 246 | 41.5% | 42.3% |
| Early Middle School EARLY | 230 | 41.3% | 52.6% |
| Sabine Middle School GLADEWATER | 266 | 45.1% | 45.6% |
| Harmony Junior High School BIG SANDY | 235 | 43.8% | 58.0% |
| Rogers Middle School ROGERS | 213 | 37.6% | 46.8% |
| Coleman Junior High School COLEMAN | 233 | 37.8% | 42.9% |
Matched among Texas middle 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 Merkel Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Taylor County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 42.3% | #826 of 1,635 | #5 of 9 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 29.0% | #1,409 of 1,670 ▼ 216 | #8 of 9 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 53.0% | #909 of 1,670 ▲ 144 | #5 of 9 ▲ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 246 | #1,479 of 1,749 | #8 of 9 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 9.3:1 | #3 of 1,542 | #1 of 9 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.3% | #968 of 1,543 | #7 of 9 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 41.5% | #1,302 of 1,648 | #5 of 9 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -13.4% | #524 of 942 | #5 of 6 |
Ranked against other public middle 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
246
+11 (+5%) vs 2020
-25% since 1990-91, when it was 328
Student : Teacher
9.3:1
was 10.7:1
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 | 246 | 26.5 | 9.3:1 | 41% (102) |
| 2023-24 | 242 | 23.1 | 10.5:1 | 45% (108) |
| 2022-23 | 248 | 25.5 | 9.7:1 | 51% (126) |
| 2020-21 | 235 | 22 | 10.7:1 | 55% (129) |
| 2017-18 | 284 | 21.3 | 13.3:1 | 52% (149) |
| 2015-16 | 149 | 12 | 12.4:1 | 58% (87) |
| 2010-11 | 236 | 23 | 10.3:1 | 54% (128) |
| 2000-01 | 324 | 25 | 13.0:1 | 45% (147) |
| 1990-91 | 328 | 23 | 14.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Merkel Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 13% (284 to 246); teachers up 24% (21.3 to 26.5).
About Merkel Middle School
Merkel Middle School is a small middle school in Texas, with an address in MERKEL. The latest federal count shows 246 students in grades 6 through 8. The average for middle schools in Texas is about 643 students, so this school is 62% smaller than average.
MERKEL ISD has 1,090 students spread across 3 schools.
Roughly 67% of students at Merkel Middle School are White. Other reported shares: 28% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. That is close to the 67% White share among all Taylor County residents. The school's diversity index is 47%, meaning two students picked at random have a 47% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
Merkel Middle School's 26.5 full-time-equivalent teachers put its ratio at 9.3:1. On average, middle schools in Texas have 14.4:1, compared with 9.3:1 here. The school's rate of free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 41%. That is 12 points below the 53% average for public schools in Taylor County.
Merkel Middle School posts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 42.3%. Schools with its free or reduced-price lunch share in Texas are predicted to post 56.0%, so the school is 13.7 points behind and in the state's bottom 10%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Taylor County, the median household income is $67,139, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 29%, and roughly 11% of residents are in poverty. Merkel Middle School is one of 54 public schools in the county.
The closest public school to Merkel Middle School is Merkel Elementary School, about 0.1 miles away. Counting only straight-line distance, 2 other public schools are within five miles. Of 9 schools in the immediate area with test results, Merkel Middle School ranks 4th on average proficiency.
The school's federal locale classification is Rural: Distant.
Enrollment has grown by 11 students since 2020-21, to 246. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio fell to 9.3:1, from 10.7:1.
Discussions about Merkel Middle School may include school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Taylor County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
145,863
Census ACS
Median income
$67,139
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
54
24,159 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in MERKEL ISD
- Merkel Elementary SchoolElementary · 563 students
- Merkel High SchoolHigh · 281 students
- Taylor County Learning CenterElementary
Other schools in MERKEL
- Merkel Elementary SchoolElementary · 563 students
- Merkel High SchoolHigh · 281 students
Nearby schools
- Merkel Elementary School0.1 mi · 563
- Merkel High School0.5 mi · 281
- Trent Independent School District7.0 mi · 144
- Dyess Elementary School12.3 mi · 621
- Clack Middle School13.2 mi · 693
- Bassetti Elementary School13.4 mi · 546
Frequently asked questions
About Merkel Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Merkel Middle School?
Merkel Middle School enrolls approximately 246 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Merkel Middle School serve?
Merkel Middle School serves grades 06-08.
How many students per teacher at Merkel Middle School?
Approximately 9.3:1 students per teacher at Merkel Middle School.
What is the student diversity at Merkel Middle School?
Student demographics at Merkel Middle School are roughly 67% White, 28% Hispanic, 1% Black, 4% Two or more.
What district is Merkel Middle School in?
Merkel Middle School is part of MERKEL ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.