Summary:
Mauston School District has one middle school, Olson Middle, serving grades 6–8 with 240 students in Mauston, Wisconsin, and it is the district’s only middle-level school. The broader Mauston School District is ranked 357th of 432 Wisconsin districts, at the 17th percentile with 1 star, while Olson Middle ranks 402nd of 643 schools in 2025–26, at the 37th percentile with 2 stars — an improvement from 477th of 641, the 26th percentile, and 1 star in 2023–24. The school enrolls a substantial economically disadvantaged population, with 55.42% free/reduced lunch, and spends $15,714 per student with a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio.
Academically, Olson Middle’s clearest strengths are 8th grade math and social studies. In 2025–26, 8th graders scored 60.53% proficient in math versus 53.67% statewide, and 68.42% in social studies versus 64.63% statewide; both also beat district averages. Attendance and dropout indicators are also relative strengths: the dropout rate is 0.0%, compared with 0.3% district and 1.1% state, and chronic absenteeism is 14.1%, compared with 16.6% district and 17.3% state. However, ELA remains a concern, especially in grades 6–7: 6th grade ELA was 39.19% versus 54.95% state, and 7th grade ELA was 34.21% versus 55.33% state. Seventh grade math also fell from 53.95% in 2024–25 to 46.05% in 2025–26, while 6th grade math improved from 40.51% to 47.30%.
Overall, Olson Middle is consistently above its district but mostly below the state. In 2025–26, it outperformed the district on seven of eight reported tests; the exception was 7th grade ELA, where the school scored 34.21% versus the district’s 35.29%. The ranking trend is positive, but at the 37th percentile the school remains below the state midpoint, and the district as a whole is in the bottom quartile. Families should see a mixed profile: strong 8th grade math and social studies, better-than-state attendance and dropout metrics, and improving rankings, alongside persistent ELA weaknesses and an uneven math picture.
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