Schools in Rio, WI

Rio, Wisconsin is served by two public schools in the Rio Community School District: Rio Elementary for grades PK–5 with 169 students, and Rio Middle/High for grades 6–12 with 183 students, together enrolling roughly 352 students. The district overall ranks 307th of 432 in Wisconsin, in the 29th percentile with 1 star, and both schools slipped in the most recent rankings while remaining small enough that a handful of students can shift grade-level results noticeably.

Rio Elementary is currently the stronger of the two, at the 44th percentile with 2 stars, down from the 63rd percentile and 3 stars. Its standout strength is chronic absenteeism of just 2.1%, far below the district's 8.7% and the state's 17.3%. Fourth graders also score well above state in social studies (78.95% and 84%) and science (68.42% and 72%). The concerns are 3rd grade ELA, which fell to 28% from 57.89%, and 4th grade math, below state both years (40% vs. 53.96%, then 36.84% vs. 52.87%).

Rio Middle/High ranks at the 30th percentile with 1 star, a steep drop from the 70th percentile and 4 stars, despite strong completion outcomes: a 96.3% graduation rate and 0.6% dropout rate, both better than state. Some grade results shine, including 2024-2025 8th grade ELA at 82.61%, math at 69.57%, social studies at 91.3%, and science at 91.3%, plus current 7th grade ELA at 68% and current 8th grade social studies at 74.07%. But current 10th grade ACT proficiency is weak — ELA 28% vs. state 48.47%, science 32% vs. 43.2%, math 40% vs. 42.93% — and 8th grade math dropped to 40.74% from 69.57%. Math is a recurring weak spot at both schools, and although both serve similar populations, with free/reduced lunch around 37% and per-student spending above $19,000, outcomes still differ.