Summary:
Poplar, Wisconsin is a small community served by two schools in the Maple School District: Northwestern Elementary (PK–5, enrollment 515) and Northwestern Middle (6–8, enrollment 289). No high school appears in this data, so the information covers PK–8 only. The district ranks 179th of 432 Wisconsin districts, in the 59th percentile with 3 stars, and both schools also hold 3-star ratings in 2025–26.
The two schools have distinct strengths. Northwestern Middle is the standout in math and attendance. Its middle-school math proficiency averaged 72.9% in 2024–25, about 19 points above the state average, with 8th grade math at 77.55% — the highest proficiency value in the data set. Even after a decline, 2025–26 math remained about 12.7 points above state. Chronic absenteeism was just 6.9%, far below the district's 12.6% and the state's 17.3%, and its dropout rate was 0.0%. Northwestern Elementary stands out in English Language Arts, averaging 62.6% in 2025–26, roughly 9.4 points above state, with every tested grade above average. Its math, however, averaged about 2 points below state, and chronic absenteeism was 14.3% — better than state but worse than the district.
Both schools serve similar populations, with free/reduced lunch near 32% and per-student spending around $12,000, making the middle school's relative strengths notable. Families should also note sharp grade-level swings from 2024–25 to 2025–26: 8th grade math fell from 77.55% to 60.40%, 8th grade ELA and science dropped below state averages, and 5th grade math declined from 64.10% to 48.05%. These may reflect cohort changes rather than school-wide trends, but they explain why overall averages slipped. In short, Poplar offers a strong middle school, especially in math and attendance, and an elementary school with consistent ELA results but more uneven math.
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