Summary:
Beloit School District operates two middle schools serving grades 6–8 in Beloit, Wisconsin — Aldrich Intermediate (521 students) and Fran Fruzen Intermediate (490 students) — for a combined enrollment of 1,011. Both sit within a Beloit School District that ranks 426th of 432 in Wisconsin, in the 1st percentile with 0 stars, making it one of the lowest-ranked districts in the state.
Aldrich is the stronger academic performer. On the 2025–2026 Forward Exam it outscored Fran Fruzen in all eight tested areas, with an average proficiency of 33.40% versus 21.52%, and it ranks 539th of 643 (16th percentile, 1 star) against Fran Fruzen's 591st of 643 (8th percentile, 0 stars). Aldrich is above the district average in every subject and is improving, gaining 6.73 points on average year over year, while Fran Fruzen slipped 0.22 points and improved in only four of eight areas. Aldrich also has a lower free/reduced lunch rate (66.41% vs. 72.65%), a lower student-teacher ratio (12.8 vs. 16.6), and higher per-student spending ($16,796 vs. $15,131).
Two patterns matter at both schools. First, both trail the state badly: Aldrich's average sits about 22 points below Wisconsin's 55.51%, and Fran Fruzen's about 34 points below. Second, chronic absenteeism is severe — 40.9% at Aldrich and 40.5% at Fran Fruzen, more than double the state rate of 17.3%. Fran Fruzen's bright spots are its lower dropout rate (0.6% vs. Aldrich's 1.4%) and gains in 8th grade social studies and science. Year-to-year grade-level changes can be volatile, so read these patterns as context rather than as a verdict on either school.
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