Is Merritt Creek Academy a good school?

Merritt Creek Academy ranks in the bottom 10.4% of Minnesota alternative schools.

How many students attend Merritt Creek Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 86 students attended Merritt Creek Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Merritt Creek Academy?

Students at Merritt Creek Academy are 81% White, 13% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 1% African American.

Merritt Creek Academy

Summary:

Merritt Creek Academy is an alternative public school in Duluth, Minnesota, serving 78 students in grades K-12. While the school is part of the Duluth Public School District, which has a 3-star rating, Merritt Creek Academy faces unique challenges compared to nearby schools.

One key difference is Merritt Creek Academy's higher racial diversity, with 79.49% white students, 2.56% African American, 2.56% Hispanic, 6.41% Native American, and 8.97% two or more races. However, this diversity does not translate to higher academic performance. In fact, the school's proficiency rates on standardized tests are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 8.62% of students proficient in math and 25.81% in reading. Additionally, Merritt Creek Academy has an extremely high rate of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 96.15%, which is much higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite these challenges, Merritt Creek Academy has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 7.3 students per teacher, lower than the nearby Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, NLA-Carlton, Northern Lights Academy, and other alternative schools in the Northern Lights Academy Cooperative and Duluth Public School District. This suggests that the school may require specialized interventions and support to address the unique needs of its student population and improve academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

4000 W 9th St
Duluth, MN 55807-1563

(218) 625-2689

District: Duluth Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
789^th of 881 Minnesota Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $26,567

Student/teacher ratio: 7.7

Number of students: 86

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.4%

Two or more races:

12.8%

American Indian:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Merritt Creek Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Merritt Creek Academy ranks worse than 89.6% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.39. (See more...)

Compare Details Merritt Creek Academy ranks worse than 92.1% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.78. (See more...)

Compare Details Merritt Creek Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2010 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.63. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Merritt Creek Academy has the largest alternative school student body size in the Duluth Public School District. Racial makeup is: White (81.4%), two or more races (12.8%), American Indian (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merritt Creek Academy is 7.7. 4 alternative schools in the Duluth Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Merritt Creek Academy employs 11.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merritt Creek Academy is $26,567. 3 alternative schools in the Duluth Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Merritt Creek Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Merritt Creek Academy 789^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Merritt Creek Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Merritt Creek Academy 502^nd of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Merritt Creek Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Duluth Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Duluth Public School District 191^st of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2006	0.09	755^th	756	0.1%
2007	1.48	769^th	777	1.0%
2008	0.46	771^st	781	1.3%
2010	6.59	760^th	803	5.4%
2011	0.42	812^th	814	0.2%
2012	0.82	807^th	820	1.6%
2013	0.29	822^nd	824	0.2%
2014	4.76	781^st	826	5.4%
2015	9.10	766^th	840	8.8%
2016	0.39	844^th	848	0.5%
2017	1.23	838^th	853	1.8%
2019	3.40	841^st	870	3.3%
2021	6.69	795^th	869	8.5%
2023	16.90	711^th	845	15.9%
2024	10.39	789^th	881	10.4%

See the entire list of Minnesota Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	23.76	420^th	515	18.4%
2023	41.08	319^th	524	39.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	6.95	722^nd	740	2.4%
2021	13.26	633^rd	683	7.3%
2023	41.75	481^st	774	37.9%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.47	701^st	799	12.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.58	704^th	712	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	0.92	372^nd	387	3.9%
2006	0.59	403^rd	406	0.7%
2007	8.99	381^st	403	5.5%
2008	1.73	397^th	409	2.9%
2012	1.04	460^th	469	1.9%
2013	1.99	479^th	488	1.8%
2015	12.83	453^rd	516	12.2%
2016	2.55	493^rd	508	3.0%
2017	0.61	523^rd	523	0.0%
2018	4.77	484^th	518	6.6%
2019	2.26	526^th	533	1.3%
2021	4.46	507^th	521	2.7%
2022	5.60	500^th	520	3.8%
2024	10.78	502^nd	545	7.9%

See the entire list of Minnesota Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	10.48	276^th	282	2.1%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	4.83	412^th	415	0.7%
2024	20.23	409^th	473	13.5%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2010	4.63	515^th	540	4.6%

See the entire list of Minnesota Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Merritt Creek Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1994	35	3	0	0	9	n/a	n/a	47
1995	62	1	2	2	5	n/a	n/a	72
1996	62	1	2	2	5	n/a	n/a	72
1997	54	6	0	3	10	n/a	n/a	73
1998	52	5	0	2	14	n/a	n/a	73
1999	49	9	1	1	12	n/a	n/a	72
2000	55	3	1	4	9	n/a	n/a	72
2001	63	0	0	0	7	n/a	n/a	70
2002	76	7	1	2	10	n/a	n/a	96
2003	76	7	1	2	10	n/a	n/a	96
2004	79	9	1	2	10	n/a	n/a	101
2005	69	9	0	0	12	n/a	n/a	90
2006	67	8	0	1	18	n/a	n/a	94
2007	78	8	0	3	15	n/a	n/a	104
2008	71	14	1	4	11	n/a	n/a	101
2010	69	5	0	1	15	n/a	n/a	90
2011	64	12	2	2	13	1	1	95
2012	60	17	1	3	10	0	3	94
2013	68	11	1	2	9	0	3	94
2014	54	13	0	4	13	0	4	88
2015	67	11	0	3	9	0	4	94
2016	61	9	1	4	12	0	11	98
2017	55	9	0	4	13	0	21	102
2018	49	9	0	9	9	0	19	95
2019	47	12	1	11	8	0	12	91
2020	54	6	0	3	11	1	8	83
2021	52	2	0	2	13	0	12	81
2022	54	3	0	2	6	0	13	78
2023	62	2	0	2	5	0	7	78
2024	70	1	0	0	4	0	11	86

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merritt Creek Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	47	8.6	5.5	0
1995	72	2.5	28.8	37.5
1996	72	2.5	28.8	37.5
1997	73	6.0	12.2	9.6
1998	73	n/a	0.0	47.9
1999	72	6.0	12.0	25
2000	72	7.0	10.3	30.6
2001	70	7.0	10.0	82.9
2002	96	11.7	8.2	91.7
2003	96	11.7	8.2	91.7
2004	101	2.3	43.9	95
2005	90	14.0	6.4	92.2
2006	94	11.4	8.2	92.6
2007	104	12.7	8.2	88.5
2008	101	12.9	7.8	97
2010	90	11.0	8.1	92.2
2011	95	9.9	9.5	86.3
2012	94	10.4	9.0	89.4
2013	94	11.5	8.1	83
2014	88	11.2	7.8	87.5
2015	94	12.0	7.8	98.9
2016	98	13.0	7.5	95.9
2017	102	9.7	10.4	84.3
2018	95	9.9	9.5	86.3
2019	91	11.5	7.8	87.9
2020	83	12.8	6.4	89.2
2021	81	12.5	6.4	96.3
2022	78	11.1	7.0	n/a
2023	78	10.5	7.3	96.2
2024	86	11.1	7.7	83.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Merritt Creek Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	47	8.6	5.5	0
1995	72	2.5	28.8	37.5
1996	72	2.5	28.8	37.5
1997	73	6.0	12.2	9.6
1998	73	n/a	0.0	47.9
1999	72	6.0	12.0	25
2000	72	7.0	10.3	30.6
2001	70	7.0	10.0	82.9
2002	96	11.7	8.2	91.7
2003	96	11.7	8.2	91.7
2004	101	2.3	43.9	95
2005	90	14.0	6.4	92.2
2006	94	11.4	8.2	92.6
2007	104	12.7	8.2	88.5
2008	101	12.9	7.8	97
2010	90	11.0	8.1	92.2
2011	95	9.9	9.5	86.3
2012	94	10.4	9.0	89.4
2013	94	11.5	8.1	83
2014	88	11.2	7.8	87.5
2015	94	12.0	7.8	98.9
2016	98	13.0	7.5	95.9
2017	102	9.7	10.4	84.3
2018	95	9.9	9.5	86.3
2019	91	11.5	7.8	87.9
2020	83	12.8	6.4	89.2
2021	81	12.5	6.4	96.3
2022	78	11.1	7.0	n/a
2023	78	10.5	7.3	96.2
2024	86	11.1	7.7	83.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merritt Creek Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$26,567

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merritt Creek Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 841^st of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 711^th of 845 Elementary schools	12.5%
Ranks 526^th of 533 Middle schools	Ranks 500^th of 520 Middle schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Math (Merritt Creek Academy)	0	6.3	6.3%
5th Grade Math (Duluth Public School District)	54	49.6	4.5%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Merritt Creek Academy)	25	43.8	18.8%
5th Grade Reading (Duluth Public School District)	68	67.9	0.2%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Merritt Creek Academy)	23.1	26.7	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Duluth Public School District)	63.1	63.2	0.2%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%
8th Grade Math (Merritt Creek Academy)	0	0
8th Grade Math (Duluth Public School District)	57.6	45.7	12%
8th Grade Math (Minnesota)	55.2	40.1	15.1%
8th Grade Reading (Merritt Creek Academy)	9.1	20	10.9%
8th Grade Reading (Duluth Public School District)	59.9	56.3	3.5%
8th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.7	46.4	11.3%
8th Grade Science (Merritt Creek Academy)	9.1	0	9.1%
8th Grade Science (Duluth Public School District)	47.2	36.9	10.3%
8th Grade Science (Minnesota)	43	29.2	13.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	91	78	14.3%
African American	12	2	83.3%
American Indian	8	5	37.5%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	11	2	81.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	47	62	31.9%
Two or More Races	12	7	41.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.9%	96.2%	8.2%

Schools Near Merritt Creek Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				MCA-III Math (2024)					MCA-III Reading (2024)					MCA-III Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Merritt Creek Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	4000 W 9th St	Duluth	55807	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 625-2689	86	11	7.7	83.7%	70 (81.4%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (12.8%)								(n/a)	0.0	10.0	0.0	0.0	8.6	0.0	40.0	10.0	27.3	25.8	0.0	15.8	$26,567
Superior Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	615 Pecan Ave	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8955	14	2	7.0	28.6%	13 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$30,618
Arrowhead Academy	Public, Alternative	4-12	1918 Arlington Ave N	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 625-6766	15	4	3.3	33.3%	10 (66.7%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (20.0%)								(n/a)										10.0			$27,156
Special Education N.P.	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	709 Portia Johnson Drive	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8740	22	0		13.6%	20 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)								(n/a)													$7,214
Chester Creek Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	714 1/2 W College St	Duluth	55811	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 216-8325	32	8	4.1	90.6%	20 (62.5%)	4 (12.5%)	2 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)					19.1					17.4			$28,609
Rockridge Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	4849 Ivanhoe St	Duluth	55804	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8955	45	8	5.3	86.7%	35 (77.8%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.4%)	1 (2.2%)	6 (13.3%)								(n/a)				10.0	3.9					20.0		8.3	$24,830
Bethany Crisis Shelter	Public, Alternative	K-12	4849 Ivanhoe St	Duluth	55804	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8955	2	0			2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$17,307
NLA-Carlton	Public, Alternative	4-12	405 School Ave	Carlton	55718	Carlton County	Northern Lights Academy Cooperative	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(218) 878-3060	31	2	14.5	9.7%	21 (67.7%)	2 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (22.6%)								(n/a)					0.0					25.0
Northern Lights Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	302 14th Street	Cloquet	55720	Carlton County	Northern Lights Academy Cooperative	No	No	No	No	(218) 878-3060	12	4	2.6	66.7%	6 (50.0%)	1 (8.3%)	2 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)
Fond du Lac Ojibwe School	Public, Alternative	K-12	49 University Road	Cloquet	55720	Carlton County	Fond du Lac Ojibwe School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(218) 878-7242	136	26	5.2	97.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	136 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Merritt Creek Academy

Merritt Creek Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Duluth Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for elementary school White students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merritt Creek Academy

Rank History for Merritt Creek Academy

Enrollment information for Merritt Creek Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merritt Creek Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Merritt Creek Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Merritt Creek Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Merritt Creek Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Merritt Creek Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Merritt Creek Academy

Rate Merritt Creek Academy!

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