Middle Schools in Merrillville Community School Corp

The Merrillville Community School Corp district in Indiana is home to two middle schools: Pierce Middle School and Merrillville Intermediate School. While both schools serve a predominantly non-white student population, with a majority of African American and Hispanic students, their academic performance lags behind state averages.

Neither school stands out as a clear academic standout, with both institutions struggling to maintain proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math. Pierce Middle School has particularly low proficiency rates, with only around 30% of students proficient or better in ELA and just 13% in Math. Merrillville Intermediate School performs slightly better, with 27-35% of students proficient or better in ELA and 29-35% in Math, but still falls behind state averages. Both schools have also seen their statewide rankings drop in recent years, indicating a concerning trend of declining performance.

Factors that may be contributing to the schools' academic challenges include high chronic absenteeism rates, particularly at Pierce Middle School, as well as potential racial and socioeconomic disparities within the Merrillville Community School Corp district. With per-student spending slightly below the state average and student-teacher ratios around 14-15 students per teacher, the schools may also be facing resource constraints that hinder their ability to effectively support student learning and achievement.