Summary:
Butternut School District is a very small district in northern Wisconsin serving roughly 176 students across just two schools that share the same address in Butternut, WI: Butternut Elementary, which serves grades PK–5 with 84 students, and Butternut High, which serves grades 6–12 with 92 students. There is no middle school or alternative school. The district as a whole ranks 353rd of 432 in Wisconsin — the 18th percentile, with 1 star.
Within the district, Butternut Elementary is the stronger performer. In 2025–26 it ranked 456th of 1,039 (56th percentile, 3 stars), and its English Language Arts results were above state in every tested grade: 62.5% in 3rd, 63.64% in 4th, and 71.43% in 5th, compared with state figures near 52–54%. Fourth-grade social studies was also a standout at 81.82% versus the state's 65.51%, and chronic absenteeism was just 6.9%. Math and science were weaker, though: 3rd-grade math came in at 37.5% versus 54.75% statewide, and 4th-grade science at 45.45% versus 53.46%.
Butternut High has fallen sharply, from 4 stars and the 82nd percentile in 2023–24 to 1 star and the 14th percentile in 2025–26. Middle-grade math was well below state in each tested grade, and 10th-grade ACT results were stark: 20% in ELA, 0% in math, and 0% in science. Yet completion measures hold close to state averages — a 91.6% graduation rate versus 92.0%, a 1.2% dropout rate versus 1.1%, and 16.9% chronic absenteeism versus 17.3%. Both schools spend just over $20,000 per student with student-teacher ratios below 8:1, and just over half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Because the cohorts are so small, year-to-year swings should be read with caution.
Thank you for your feedback!