Summary:
The Appleton Area School District in Wisconsin includes nine high schools serving about 4,444 students, most in grades 9–12 (Valley New serves 6–12 and Appleton eSchool serves 7–12). The district overall ranks 253rd of 432 in Wisconsin at the 41st percentile with 2 stars, but that average hides wide differences between schools. Three large comprehensive high schools — North High (1,635 students), East High (1,238) and West High (1,024) — enroll about 87.7% of the listed students. Six smaller schools and programs together enroll 547, with a median enrollment of just 147.
Three small schools sit at the top of the state rankings: Tesla Engineering Charter School (9th of 533, 98th percentile, 5 stars), Renaissance School (11th, 98th percentile, 5 stars) and Fox Cities Leadership Academy (23rd, 96th percentile, 5 stars). All three report 100% graduation and 0.0% dropout rates, with proficiency well above district and state levels — Tesla's math is 87.5% against 42.93% statewide, and Renaissance's ELA is 90%. They spend only about $8,146–$8,556 per student, far less than the comprehensive high schools.
Among the large schools, North High is strongest (60th percentile, 3 stars), beating East and West in every 2025–26 subject; its ELA and Science exceed district and state levels. East High and West High fall below district and state in all four subjects, with West at the 24th percentile, 88.0% graduation, 2.7% dropout and 33.1% chronic absenteeism. Appleton Technical Academy ranks at the 17th percentile despite a 94.7% graduation rate. Valley New School reports 34.4% chronic absenteeism, and Appleton eSchool has the lowest absenteeism at 5.9% but the highest dropout rate at 6.2%, with no 2025–26 test scores provided.
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