Middle Schools in Hartford J1 School District

The Hartford J1 School District in Wisconsin has only one middle school, Central Middle, which serves students in grades 6-8. While the school's performance has declined in recent years, falling from a statewide ranking of 369 out of 640 Wisconsin middle schools in 2022-2023 to 413 out of 628 in 2024-2025, it has shown some strengths in certain academic areas.

Central Middle's proficiency rates on the Forward Exam, Wisconsin's standardized test, are mixed. In 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics were below the state averages for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. However, the school's 8th-grade proficiency rates in Social Studies were higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low-income families, with a 37.9% free and reduced-price lunch rate, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7%, which is higher than the state average.

Despite the school's challenges, it does have some positive attributes. Central Middle has a student-teacher ratio of 15.1, which is slightly lower than the state average, and the school's per-student spending for the 2020-2021 school year was $11,758, which is higher than the state average. These resources suggest that the school district is investing in the school, but the mixed academic performance and high chronic absenteeism rate indicate that these resources may not be translating into improved student outcomes. The school and district will need to closely examine the factors contributing to the school's declining performance and address the socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.