Best Public Schools in Altoona, WI

Altoona, Wisconsin is served by four schools in the Altoona School District — Altoona Elementary (PK–3), Altoona Intermediate (4–5), Altoona Middle (6–8), and Altoona High (9–12) — enrolling 1,778 students total, with roughly 130–140 students per grade level and little attrition as students move up. The district ranks 124th of 432 Wisconsin districts (71st percentile, 4 stars), a solidly above-average rating, and since Altoona runs one school per grade band, each school's results essentially are the district's results.

Each school has a distinct profile. Altoona Middle is the math standout: 8th grade math at 77.52% proficient versus 53.67% statewide, with 6th and 7th grade math at 70% each, and it climbed from the 60th to the 73rd percentile in one year. Altoona Intermediate posted the biggest turnaround, rising from the 45th percentile (2 stars) to the 69th percentile (3 stars), with 4th grade math jumping from 52.27% to 73.64%, and it has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 5.4% versus 17.3% statewide. Altoona Elementary has the smallest classes (11.7 students per teacher) and highest per-student spending ($14,936), with scores that softened slightly but remain above state — though its rank data is roughly 13 years old.

Altoona High is the watch item: its rank slid from the 77th to the 73rd to the 65th percentile over three years, and ACT results dropped sharply, with ACT ELA (46.56% vs. 48.47% state) the only result in the district below the state average. Chronic absenteeism is concentrated in the upper grades — Middle 13.6%, High 11.1%, versus under 7% at the PK–5 schools — though all four beat the state. Overall, Altoona schools meet or exceed the state in 19 of 20 tested grade/subject combinations.