Summary:
Medford, Wisconsin is served by four schools in the Medford Area Public School District, covering PK–12: Rural Virtual Academy, Medford High, Medford Elementary, and Medford Middle. The district ranks 171 of 432 in Wisconsin — the 60th percentile — with 3 stars. Total listed enrollment is 4,079, but the most striking fact is scale: Rural Virtual Academy alone enrolls 2,259 students, 55.4% of the total, and is larger than the other three schools combined. Because so many students attend RVA, district averages are heavily shaped by its results, which can make the traditional schools look weaker when measured only against the district.
Medford Elementary is the attendance standout, with chronic absenteeism of 6.5% — far below the district's 14.7% and the state's 17.3% — and it improved its rank from the 50th to the 60th percentile, moving from 2 stars to 3 stars. Rural Virtual Academy posts the highest graduation rate at 96.7% and many strong results, including 4th-grade Social Studies at 89.66%, but its math results are mixed: 5th-grade math was 40.63% and ACT Math 37.21%, both below district and state. Medford High is mixed too: ACT Math is a bright spot at 51.01%, above district 48.21% and state 42.93%, while ACT ELA is 33.56% and chronic absenteeism is the highest at 21.8%.
Medford Middle reports 0.0% dropout and 14.5% chronic absenteeism, but its 5th–8th grade ELA scores are below the state in every grade; large 8th-grade gains in ELA, Social Studies, and Science are an encouraging trend. Spending does not line up simply with outcomes: Medford High spends the most per student at $13,975, while RVA spends the least at $8,833 yet has the highest student-teacher ratio at 26.7. Poverty indicators are highest at the elementary and middle schools, around 41.2–41.3%. Districtwide, the highest reported score is RVA's 4th-grade Social Studies at 89.66% and the lowest is Medford High's ACT ELA at 33.56%.
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