Best Public Schools in South Wayne, WI

South Wayne, Wisconsin is a small community served by three public schools — Black Hawk Elementary, Black Hawk Middle, and Black Hawk High — all part of the Black Hawk School District and all located at the same address, 202 E Center St. Together they cover PK–12 and enroll 335 students: 163 at the elementary (PK–5), 76 at the middle school (6–8), and 96 at the high school (9–12). The district as a whole ranks 227th of 432 Wisconsin districts, placing it in the 47th percentile with 2 stars.

Black Hawk Elementary is the clear standout, earning 4 stars in each of the last three years and ranking in the top quartile of state elementary schools. Its 2025–2026 scores sit well above state averages in 4th grade math (82.35% proficient), 4th grade social studies (82.35%), and 4th grade English language arts (76.47%). Black Hawk High improved sharply, moving from 0 stars and the 9th percentile in 2024–2025 to 2 stars and the 38th percentile in 2025–2026, though every reported high school test score remains below state average and its 85.1% graduation rate trails the state's 92.0%. Black Hawk Middle is mixed: math is a strength, with 7th grade math at 82.14% versus 55.67% statewide, while English language arts swings widely between grades.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide bright spot. All three schools beat Wisconsin's 17.3% rate, led by Black Hawk Middle at 6.5%, with the elementary at 8.6% and the high school at 10.4%. Notably, Black Hawk Elementary has the highest free/reduced-lunch rate (46.63%) yet the strongest outcomes, while the high school spends the most per student ($17,369) with the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.5) but the weakest results — a reminder that small grade sizes can amplify year-to-year swings.