Best Public Schools in Minocqua, WI

Minocqua, Wisconsin has three public schools: Minocqua Elementary, serving PK–8; Lakeland High, serving 9–12; and Lakeland STAR Academy (LSA), also serving 9–12. There are no standalone middle or alternative schools. The schools enroll 1,223 students total. Minocqua J1 School District contains Minocqua Elementary and is rated 130 of 432 (70th percentile, 4 stars). Lakeland Union High School School District contains both high schools and is rated 247 of 432 (43rd percentile, 2 stars).

Minocqua Elementary is the strongest academic performer. It has 2.5% chronic absenteeism, 0.0% dropout, 32.41% free/reduced lunch, a 10.5 student-teacher ratio, and $21,513 per-student spending. Its 2025–2026 average proficiency rates were 65.75% ELA, 56.39% math, 76.42% social studies, and 63.21% science, all above state averages. 8th grade results are especially strong: 83.02% social studies, 73.58% ELA, 73.58% science, and 66.04% math. However, its rank fell from 76th percentile (4 stars) in 2023–2024 to 61st percentile (3 stars) in 2025–2026, and 4th grade math was 41.51%, below the state’s 52.87%. Lakeland High enrolls 696 students. Its graduation rate is 95.9%, dropout 0.8%, but chronic absenteeism is 27.8%, far above the state’s 17.3%. Its rank improved from 36th percentile (2 stars) to 51st percentile (3 stars). Social studies and math are above state, but ELA fell to 42.31% (state 48.47%) and science was below state both years.

Lakeland STAR Academy (LSA) is the smallest school, with 21 students, 71.43% free/reduced lunch, a 3.6 student-teacher ratio, and $62,160 per-student spending, nearly three times the other schools. Its dropout rate is 0.0% and chronic absenteeism is 27.8%, matching Lakeland High. No current graduation rate or test scores are shown; its only listed graduation rate is an older 2021–2022 rate of 50.0%, too old and too small to treat as current. Because LSA has only 21 students, one student can shift a percentage by nearly 5 points. High school enrollment is dominated by Lakeland High (97%), and the biggest contrast is chronic absenteeism: 2.5% at the elementary school versus 27.8% at both high schools. The area has no standalone middle school, so middle grades are served within Minocqua Elementary.