Summary:
Clayton, Wisconsin is a small community served by three public schools in the Clayton School District: Clayton Elementary (PK–4, 124 students), Clayton Middle (5–8, 46 students), and Clayton High (9–12, 86 students), for a total enrollment of 256. All three share the same address and no alternative school is listed. The district ranks 280th of 432 in Wisconsin (35th percentile, 2 stars), but that average hides very different stories at the individual schools.
Clayton Middle is the strongest performer, ranking 212 of 643 schools (67th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025-2026, up from the 37th percentile two years earlier. Its 8th graders scored well above state in Social Studies (83.33% vs 64.63%), Science (66.67% vs 51.86%), Math (66.67% vs 53.67%) and ELA (66.67% vs 54.38%), though 6th grade Math lagged at 36.84% vs 53.60%. Clayton Elementary has held a 3-star rating each year and stands out for attendance: chronic absenteeism of 6.0%, about half the district rate of 12.4%. Its 3rd grade ELA was 81.25% vs 52.08% state, while 4th grade Science fell below state at 42.86%. Clayton High is the concern: graduation rate is 100% and dropout 0.0%, but it ranks in the 17th percentile (1 star) and scored below state in every reported subject, including 10th grade Social Studies at 8.33% vs 48.25%.
Two patterns stand out for families. First, poverty and spending do not predict results here — Clayton Middle has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (52.17%) and the lowest per-student spending ($19,351) yet the best outcomes, while Clayton High has the lowest lunch rate but the weakest results. Second, cohorts are tiny, so a percentage can shift with one or two students; year-to-year swings, such as High's Social Studies drop, should be read cautiously.
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