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Charter school · Merrill Area School District · Merrill, Wisconsin

Bridges Virtual Academy

Bridges Virtual Academy rates 6.3 on our ten-point scale and ranks 1,121 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin.

Schools, 1 to 10This campus on our ten-point scale.
6.3this school

6.3 on a one-to-ten scale.

#1,121 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin

The brief

A Merrill Area School District charter school where students score 36 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,121 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin and 2 of 6 in Merrill Area School District.

Bridges Virtual Academy is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.

Math26%27 points below the Wisconsin average of 53%Grades 3–8 · 285 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Reading38%14 points below the Wisconsin average of 52%Grades 3–8 · 285 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Proficiency has fallen 13 points since 2017, to 32% in 2025, across a 14-year record (2012–2025).2025 FORWARD; 28 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.5
25% of the rating
Academics
3.5
25% of the rating
College Readiness
7.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.6
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2012-2025) · reading/ELA 46% (multi-year average, 2012-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 54452; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2012-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Bridges Virtual Academy and the 6 nearest schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$65,522
Median home value
$162,500
Median rent
$777/mo
College educated
19.3%
Homeownership
76.5%
Poverty rate
12.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 54452; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
27
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
35
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,806/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Merrill. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Merrill), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Advanced STEM courses
4 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
7.7%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Bridges Virtual Academythis school
    6.3
  2. 5.1Compare →
One grade-compatible school using the same rating model sits within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Bridges Virtual Academy.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Bridges Virtual Academy serve?

Bridges Virtual Academy serves students in grades Pre-K through 12th.

How many students attend Bridges Virtual Academy?

Bridges Virtual Academy has an enrollment of approximately 697 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bridges Virtual Academy?

The student-teacher ratio at Bridges Virtual Academy is 18.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bridges Virtual Academy rank in WI?

Bridges Virtual Academy ranks #1,121 of 2,109 schools in WI.

What is Bridges Virtual Academy's MySchoolScout rating?

Bridges Virtual Academy has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Bridges Virtual Academy?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bridges Virtual Academy has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2012-2025) and 46% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2012-2025).

Is Bridges Virtual Academy a charter school?

Yes, Bridges Virtual Academy is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is Bridges Virtual Academy a Title I school?

No, Bridges Virtual Academy is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bridges Virtual Academy?

7.7% of students at Bridges Virtual Academy qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 12th
Enrollment
697
Student-teacher ratio
18.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Virtual
Yes
Setting
Distant Town
County
Lincoln County
4-year graduation
90%+
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#2 of 6
Schools in district
7
District spending per student
$13,547
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 54452)
18,949
Area average commute
21.1 min
Area median age
47.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Wisconsin Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.