Summary:
Ladysmith School District in Wisconsin serves about 727 students across three schools — one elementary school for pre-kindergarten through 5th grade, one middle school for grades 6–8, and one high school for grades 9–12 — with no alternative schools in the district. Overall, the Ladysmith School District is rated 1 star, ranking 364th of 432 Wisconsin districts, at the 16th percentile.
That district-wide rating hides large differences between the three schools. Ladysmith Middle is the academic standout: 3 stars and the 50th percentile in 2025–26 (320th of 643), with 8th grade math at 67.5% proficient versus 53.67% statewide and 7th grade math at 65.0% versus 55.67%. Its weak spot is 6th grade, where ELA and math both fall below state. Ladysmith Elementary has the best attendance profile, 8.9% chronic absenteeism — roughly half the state's 17.3% — and improved year over year in 4th grade ELA, social studies, and science, plus 3rd and 5th grade math, though its proficiency remains below state in every reported subject. Ladysmith High is the concern, sliding from 45th percentile (2 stars) in 2023–24 to 23rd percentile (1 star) in 2025–26, with below-state results in every reported 10th grade subject, including ACT math at 24.14% versus 42.93% and social studies at 24.53% versus 48.25%.
Attendance is a districtwide strength: every school sits below the state's 17.3% chronic absenteeism rate (elementary 8.9%, middle 13.2%, high 15.4%). Free/reduced lunch rates are 66.46% at the elementary, 67.36% at the middle, and 50.59% at the high school — the middle school pairs the district's highest poverty rate with its strongest results, highest per-student spending ($17,793), and smallest classes (9.7 students per teacher). High school graduation is 90.9%, close to the state's 92.0%, even as test scores lag. With small grade-level cohorts, single-year swings should be read cautiously.
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