Spencer School District

Spencer School District is a small Wisconsin district with just two schools — Spencer Elementary serving grades PK–5, and Spencer Junior High/High serving grades 6–12 — enrolling 619 students combined on what appears to be a shared campus. There is no separate middle school and no alternative school. The district as a whole, Spencer School District, ranks 317 out of 432 with 1 star, but that single rating hides two very different schools.

Spencer Elementary is the standout. It has earned 3 stars in each of the last three years and posts chronic absenteeism of 6.6%, well below the district's 11.1% and far below the state's 17.3%. In 2025–26 it scored above state in 3rd and 4th grade ELA and math, 4th grade social studies, and 4th grade science, with 4th grade ELA at 66.67% proficient versus 53.87% statewide. Its clearest weakness is 5th grade math, below state in both of the last two years. Notably, the elementary has a higher free/reduced lunch rate (42.07%) than the junior/senior high (33.43%) yet stronger attendance and proficiency.

Spencer Junior High/High shows a completion-versus-proficiency disconnect. Graduation is 98.0% and the dropout rate is 0.3%, both well ahead of state, but many test scores lag, including ACT ELA and math at 33.33%, 8th grade science at 33.33% versus 51.86% statewide, and 10th grade social studies at 30.43%. Strengths include 8th grade math (64.10% vs 53.67%) and 6th and 8th grade ELA. Its rank swung from 3 stars in 2024–25 to 1 star in 2025–26, and absenteeism (14.9%) is more than double the elementary's. Class sizes differ too, with a 10.6 student-teacher ratio at the elementary versus 14.5 at the secondary school, though per-student spending is nearly identical.