West Salem School District

West Salem School District is a small Wisconsin district serving about 1,814 students across three schools — one elementary, one middle, and one high school — covering grades PK through 12, and it ranks 84th of 432 Wisconsin districts (81st percentile, 4 stars). Enrollment is largest at West Salem Elementary (677 students, PK–4), followed by West Salem High (603, grades 9–12) and West Salem Middle (534, grades 5–8).

West Salem Middle is the district’s most consistent academic standout, ranking in the top 15% of Wisconsin middle schools for three straight years with 4-star ratings each time (95th of 643 in 2025–2026, 85th percentile). Its 8th grade math proficiency is 79.39% vs. 53.67% statewide, with similarly strong results in ELA, social studies, 7th grade math, and 6th grade math. West Salem High posted the biggest turnaround: its rank climbed from 235th of 431 (45th percentile, 2 stars) to 83rd of 533 (84th percentile, 4 stars), with ACT proficiency well above state in ELA (63.38% vs. 48.47%), math (59.86% vs. 42.93%), and science (54.93% vs. 43.20%). West Salem Elementary remains above state in most areas — 4th grade social studies 78.91% vs. 65.51%, 4th grade math 64.06% vs. 52.87% — but slipped to 380th of 1,039 (63rd percentile, 3 stars), and its 4th grade science (51.56% vs. 53.46%) fell below state.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide strength: 5.1% overall versus 17.3% statewide, with the middle school lowest at 2.8%, the elementary at 3.4%, and the high school highest at 8.9% — still roughly half the state rate. The high school reports a 98.2% graduation rate (vs. 92.0% state) and a 0.0% dropout rate, as does the middle school. Spending per student rises with grade level — $14,497 elementary, $15,164 middle, $16,915 high — while student–teacher ratios stay tight at 12.7 to 13.7. Notably, the highest-spending school is not the strongest performer; the middle school, spending mid-range, posts the best and steadiest results.