Summary:
Rhinelander School District serves roughly 2,224 students across six schools — four elementary (PK–5), one middle (6–8), and one high school (9–12) — and ranks 292 out of 432 Wisconsin districts, placing it in the 32nd percentile with 2 stars. Enrollment is concentrated at the secondary level: Rhinelander High accounts for 757 students (34% of the district) and James Williams Middle for 454 (20%), while the four elementaries range from Northwoods Community Elementary's 97 students to Crescent Elementary's 384.
Northwoods Community Elementary is the clear academic standout, holding 4 stars all three years and reaching the 71st percentile in 2025–2026 with an average proficiency of 64.74% against a state average of 54.75% on the same tests. It also posts the district's lowest free/reduced lunch rate (24.74%), lowest student-teacher ratio (9.2), and low chronic absenteeism (5.9%); because it enrolls only 97 students, single-year percentages can swing widely. Rhinelander High has climbed from the 38th to the 60th percentile and 3 stars, with a 96.4% graduation rate, a 0.2% dropout rate, and Social Studies proficiency of 62.57% versus the state's 48.25%, but ACT Math trails the state and its chronic absenteeism of 19.6% is the highest in the district.
Among the remaining schools, Pelican Elementary improved to the 44th percentile (2 stars) on the strength of 4th-grade results, and Central Elementary (31st percentile) shows math bright spots despite the district's highest free/reduced lunch rate (61.71%) and highest per-student spending ($20,266). James Williams Middle sits at the 33rd percentile with ELA below state in every listed grade, while Crescent Elementary ranks lowest at the 27th percentile and 1 star, with all provided test scores below state — although it has the district's best attendance at 5.7%. Notably, spending does not track with performance: Rhinelander High spends the least per student ($16,084).
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