Best Public Schools in Minong, WI

Minong, Wisconsin has three schools—Northwood High/Middle (grades 6–12, 140 students), Northwood Elementary (PK–5, 133 students), and NorthStar Community Charter School (PK–8, 20 students)—all in the Northwood School District on Highway 53, serving 293 students total. The district ranks 403rd of 432 districts, 7th percentile, 0 stars; its chronic absenteeism is 11.9% versus the state’s 17.3%, dropout 0.0% versus 1.1%, and graduation 90.0% versus 92.0%.

NorthStar Community Charter School stands out for attendance and lower poverty: 0.0% chronic absenteeism, 0.0% dropout, 25% free/reduced lunch, $15,961 per-student spending, and a 10:1 ratio. But it has no recent Forward/ACT scores here, and its latest rank is older: 769th of 1,067, 28th percentile, 1 star in 2022–23. Northwood Elementary’s bright spot is 4th grade social studies at 71.43% proficient, above the district’s 66.67% and state’s 65.51%; 5th grade ELA is 47.06% versus the state’s 53.63%. Some grades improved: 3rd grade ELA (0% to 34.78%), 3rd grade math (7.69% to 30.43%), 5th grade math (17.65% to 29.41%), and 4th grade social studies (50% to 71.43%). Still, 4th grade ELA and math both fell to 0%, down from 36.36% and 27.27%, and 4th grade science was 28.57% versus the state’s 53.46%.

Northwood High/Middle has relative strengths in attendance and graduation: 13.0% chronic absenteeism, below the state’s 17.3%; 0.0% dropout; and a 90.0% graduation rate, close to the state’s 92.0%. Social studies and some ELA results are near state: 10th grade social studies 45.83% versus 48.25%, 6th grade ELA 53.33% versus 54.95%, and 8th grade ELA 50% versus 54.38%. But its rank fell from 45th percentile in 2023–24 to 39th in 2024–25 to 28th in 2025–26, with stars dropping from 2 to 1. Math is weak: 6th grade 20% versus 53.6%, 7th grade 13.33% versus 55.67%, and 8th grade 25% versus 53.67%. ACT 10th grade scores are 28.57% in ELA, math, and science, all below state. Across Minong, math is the clearest systemic weakness, while social studies and attendance are relative bright spots, and small cohorts make year-to-year swings dramatic despite high spending and small classes.