Summary:
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin has just one listed public school — North Lakeland Elementary — a PK–8 school in the North Lakeland School District that enrolls 158 students and is the area's only local provider through middle school, since the area summary lists 1 elementary school, 0 middle schools, 0 high schools, and 0 alternative schools.
Academically, the school performs well above Wisconsin averages. The district ranks 53rd of 432 districts (88th percentile, 4 stars), and the school earned 5 stars in 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, then 4 stars in 2025–2026. Its rank history shows 42nd of 1,061 (96th percentile, 5 stars), 51st of 1,044 (95th percentile, 5 stars), and 230th of 1,039 (78th percentile, 4 stars) across those three years. In both years and in every subject — English Language Arts, math, social studies, and science — the school's average proficiency is above the state average, with 2024–2025 subject averages around 72% to 83% versus state averages of roughly 50% to 63%. Chronic absenteeism is 8.5% versus 17.3% statewide, and the dropout rate is 0.0% versus 1.1% statewide. Per-student spending is $25,440, with a 9.2:1 student-teacher ratio.
Two things are worth watching. The school's relative ranking slipped from the top 5% to the 78th percentile, which is still top-quartile but no longer elite. Math averages also fell from 75.69% to 64.35% between the two years while state math stayed nearly flat. The only reported grade-level score below state is 2025–2026 4th-grade math at 41.18% versus 52.87%; other 2025–2026 math grades range from 64.71% to 73.68%, making it an isolated outlier. With only 158 students, a single grade can move results sharply.
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