Merkel Elementary School
Public elementary school in Merkel, Texas · Merkel ISD · Grades Pre-K–5
Merkel Elementary School serves 563 students in grades Pre-K–5 in Merkel (Taylor County). It is one of 3 schools in Merkel ISD. By enrollment it is the 1916th largest of 4,726 public elementary schools in Texas (median 516 students). With 13.7 students per full-time teacher, it has fewer students per teacher than the typical Texas elementary school (14.8).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 4,726 Texas elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 41 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Elementary |
| Grades | Pre-K–5 |
| District | Merkel ISD |
| County | Taylor County |
| Area type | Rural, distant |
| School meals | Free meals for every student (Community Eligibility Provision) |
| NCES school ID | 483034003395 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | Merkel ISD | Texas elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 563 | 1,090 | 516 |
| Students per teacher | 13.7 | 10.5 | 14.8 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 49.2% | 46.1% | 72% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 29% of Texas elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Merkel Elementary School in context
Size
Merkel Elementary School is the only elementary school in Merkel ISD. Its 563 students are 51.7% of the district's 1,090. The 8 nearest elementary schools are a median 14.4 miles away and have a median of 530 students, so Merkel Elementary School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 2 with 92 students, and its smallest is grade 5 with 72, against an average of 80 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 76 in kindergarten and 72 in grade 5. It also enrolls 75 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
White students are the largest group, at 70.7% of enrollment, about the same share as across Merkel ISD (69.6%). Hispanic students are next, at 24.5%. Students from 6 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
49.2% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 46.1% across Merkel ISD and a median of 72% for Texas elementary schools. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, every student can eat breakfast and lunch at no charge, and families fill out no meal application.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
Merkel Elementary School has 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 13.7 students per teacher. At the median Texas elementary school ratio of 14.8, a school with 563 students would have about 38 teachers, so Merkel Elementary School has 3 more.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas elementary schools (14.8).
Location
NCES classifies its location as rural, distant, which means it is in rural territory 5 to 25 miles from an urbanized area, or 2.5 to 10 miles from a town. The nearest other elementary school is Dyess Elementary School, 12.4 miles away in Abilene ISD. No other elementary school is within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 70.7% |
| Hispanic | 24.5% |
| Two or more races | 3% |
| Black | 1.1% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.2% |
51.3% of students are girls and 48.7% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 75 |
| Kindergarten | 76 |
| Grade 1 | 82 |
| Grade 2 | 92 |
| Grade 3 | 78 |
| Grade 4 | 88 |
| Grade 5 | 72 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
1602 Sth 5th, Merkel, TX 79536
Phone: (325)928-4795
Website: merkel.esc14.net
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Merkel Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyess Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 12.4 mi | 621 | 17 | 66% |
| Bassetti Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 13.5 mi | 546 | 15.1 | 71.6% |
| Stafford Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 14.0 mi | 473 | 15.7 | 85.4% |
| Bonham Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 14.2 mi | 481 | 14.1 | 77.8% |
| Purcell Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 14.6 mi | 537 | 15.6 | 80.4% |
| Austin Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 14.7 mi | 729 | 17.1 | 52.8% |
| Ward Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 15.2 mi | 502 | 15.4 | 57.8% |
| Ortiz Elementary School | Abilene ISD | 15.6 mi | 523 | 14.7 | 91% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in Merkel ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merkel High School | High | 9–12 | 281 |
| Merkel Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 246 |