Summary:
Wausau School District serves roughly 7,033 students across 17 schools — 11 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, and 1 alternative — with the largest enrollments at West High (1,470) and John Muir Middle (967). The district ranks 241 of 432 in Wisconsin (44th percentile, 2 stars). Its graduation rate is 90.5% versus the state's 92.0%, but its dropout rate (0.4% vs. 1.1%) and chronic absenteeism (15.2% vs. 17.3%) are better than the state's.
Academic results vary widely between schools. South Mountain Elementary is the strongest elementary, at the 76th percentile with 4 stars and a 68.4% composite, including 80% in 3rd grade ELA. Rib Mountain Elementary earned 4 stars in each of the last three years, and Stettin Elementary performs well despite the lowest spending among traditional elementaries ($11,703) and the highest student-teacher ratio (18.8). Wausau Area Montessori Charter School ranks at the 66th percentile. Among high schools, West High reached the 71st percentile and 4 stars, while East High has the district's highest graduation rate (96.8%) but 26.0% chronic absenteeism. In contrast, G D Jones Elementary, John Marshall Elementary, and Franklin Elementary each hold 1 star, with composites of about 33.1%, 37.2%, and 42.2%.
Resources and poverty are not simple predictors of results: free/reduced lunch ranges from 15.79% to 69.06%, spending from $3,321 to $25,587 per student, and student-teacher ratios from 7.6 to 18.8. Enrich Excel Achieve Learning Academy spends the most and has the smallest classes, yet reports the district's highest chronic absenteeism at 55.9%. Early-grade math is a district-wide weak point (4th grade math 40.71% vs. 52.87% state), while 5th grade math and middle school social studies are strengths. Riverview Elementary, Horace Mann Middle, and West High have improved in recent years, while Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Stettin Elementary have slipped from earlier peaks.
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