Summary:
Port Edwards, Wisconsin has a single middle school serving grades 5–8: John Edwards Middle, part of the Port Edwards School District. With 89 students, it is a small school with a low student-teacher ratio of 8.2 and per-student spending of $16,890 in 2024–2025 — a resource-intensive setting where each student can get individual attention. About half of students (50.56%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Attendance stands out as a real strength. Chronic absenteeism is 4.4%, far below the district's 8.4% and the state's 17.3%, meaning students are showing up and engaged. The dropout rate is 1.5%, slightly above the district's 0.9% and the state's 1.1%, though that figure is volatile in a school this small. Academically, results are mixed. Both bright spots are in math: 8th grade math reached 60.61% proficiency in 2025–2026 versus 53.67% statewide, and 7th grade math hit 62.50% in 2024–2025 versus 55.53% statewide. 8th grade social studies was also above state in 2024–2025 (66.67% vs 62.51%). However, English Language Arts fell below the state in every grade in both years, with 6th grade ELA down 22.60 percentage points in 2025–2026, and 5th grade math was 21.88% versus 51.81% statewide — a clear area of concern.
Overall, the school's statewide rank has slipped from the 44th percentile in 2023–2024 to 38th in 2024–2025 to 33rd in 2025–2026, holding a 2-star rating. Averages tell the story plainly: 45.01% school proficiency versus 54.95% state in 2025–2026, and 49.43% versus 54.42% the prior year. Because only 89 students are enrolled, a single student can shift a grade's rate by several points, so year-to-year swings should be read cautiously. Parents should see strong attendance habits and small class sizes alongside a need for ELA and early math support.
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