There were 1,127 students enrolled in Merkel Independent School District during the 2023-24 school year, 1.1% less than the previous year’s 1,140 students welcomed, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Among the student body, 53% were girls and 47% were boys.
Data also showed that most of the students were white (783), representing 69.5% of the district’s total enrollment. Hispanic students followed with the second-largest group, totaling 289 students (25.6%).
The grade level with the highest enrollment was first grade, with 108 students enrolled that year, accounting for 9.6% of the total student body.
The district covers three schools, and has a central office in Merkel.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school districts. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Merkel Elementary School | 589 |
| Merkel High School | 295 |
| Merkel Middle School | 242 |
