Altoona School District

Altoona School District serves about 1,778 students across four schools: Altoona Elementary (PK–3), Altoona Intermediate (4–5), Altoona Middle (6–8), and Altoona High (9–12). The district ranks 124th of 432 in Wisconsin — the 71st percentile — and earns 4 stars overall. Elementary grades (PK–5) make up nearly 47% of enrollment, middle school 22%, and high school 31%. Chronic absenteeism is a clear district strength at 9.5%, well below Wisconsin's 17.3%, and every school is below the state rate.

Math is the district's standout subject, especially in the middle grades. Altoona Middle posted 70%, 70%, and 77.52% math proficiency in grades 6, 7, and 8 — the 8th grade result is 23.85 points above state — and it earned 4 stars at the 73rd percentile. Altoona Intermediate is the momentum school, rising from 45th percentile/2 stars to 69th percentile/3 stars, with 4th grade math jumping from 52.27% to 73.64% and science from 48.48% to 70.91%. It also has the lowest absenteeism (5.4%) and lowest per-student spending ($13,502). Altoona Elementary is steady, with 3rd grade ELA at 57.94% and math at 59.52%, both above state, plus the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.7).

The main warning sign is at Altoona High, where ACT ELA fell from 56.83% to 46.56%, slipping 1.91 points below state, and its rank declined from 77th to 65th percentile over recent years. Math and Science remain above state, Social Studies improved to 58.91%, and graduation is 90.9% versus the state's 92.0%. Spending does not simply track outcomes: the highest-spending elementary school is steady, while the lowest-spending intermediate school improved most. Parents should note the district's 4-star rating masks real school-level variation, and year-over-year test changes compare different cohorts of students.