Grafton School District

Grafton School District is a four-school Wisconsin district serving about 2,192 students across two PK–4 elementary schools, one grades 5–8 middle school, and one grades 9–12 high school, and it ranks 18th of 432 districts statewide at the 96th percentile with 5 stars.

Every school in the district earned a 5-star rating in 2025–2026, and all listed test scores beat state averages. Kennedy Elementary is the district's top performer, ranked 28th of 1,039 elementary schools (97th percentile), with 3rd grade math at 89.04% proficient versus 54.75% statewide — achieved while spending the least per student ($12,129) and carrying the highest student-teacher ratio (16.3). Woodview Elementary ranks 58th of 1,039 (94th percentile), posts roughly 80% average proficiency, and has the district's highest free/reduced-price lunch rate (18.18%) plus its lowest student-teacher ratio (14.6); it edges Kennedy in 4th grade math and science, while Kennedy leads in 3rd grade math and ELA and 4th grade ELA and social studies. John Long Middle ranks 44th of 643 (93rd percentile) and improved from 4 stars in 2023–2024 to 5 stars since, with the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 3.1%. Grafton High ranks 42nd of 533 (92nd percentile) with a 99.4% graduation rate and 0.0% dropout rate, but its rank slipped from 14th and scores fell year-over-year in all four reported subjects; it also has the district's highest absenteeism (5.9%) and spending ($14,486).

Across Grafton School District, chronic absenteeism is a clear strength: every school is under 6% against a state rate of 17.3%, with a district rate of 4.7%. Secondary STEM results stand out, with high school science at 68.54% versus 43.20% statewide and 8th grade science at 74.68% versus 51.86%, suggesting a strong middle-to-high-school pipeline. Notably, spending and outcomes do not track simply here — the highest-achieving elementary school spends the least, while the highest-spending school shows recent declines — a pattern worth examining alongside instructional and demographic factors rather than as proof of cause.