Merrill Adult Diploma Academy

Merrill Adult Diploma Academy is a 9-12 campus of minimally staffed scale in Merrill, Wisconsin, part of Merrill Area School District, hosting 31 students in grades 11 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 93% below the state mean of about 475.

Within Merrill Area School District, which oversees 7 schools and 2,686 students, Merrill Adult Diploma Academy is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Merrill Adult Diploma Academy records that White students make up the majority at 74%. Other groups include 13% multiracial, 3% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% Native American. By comparison, Lincoln County as a whole is about 94% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 1 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 31.0:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.6:1, putting Merrill Adult Diploma Academy higher than the state norm the norm. Around 19% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Lincoln County runs at roughly 40%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

In the area at large, census data for Lincoln County shows median household income runs about $68,164, about 20% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Lincoln County's 12 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,880 students), Merrill Adult Diploma Academy is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Prairie River Middle, around 0.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools.

The campus sits in a small-town setting. Merrill Adult Diploma Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Trend over the last 7 years. Merrill Adult Diploma Academy's enrollment has rose 48% since 2018, when it stood at 21 (now 31). The White share of enrollment shrank from 90% to 74% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 19.1:1 in 2018 to 31.0:1 today.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.