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Clayton Elementary

Q: Is Clayton Elementary a good school?

Clayton Elementary ranks 448 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

448^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Clayton Elementary is a small PK–4 school in Clayton, WI, serving 124 students as part of the Clayton School District. It stands out locally because the school currently performs better than its district: Clayton Elementary ranked in the 57th percentile of Wisconsin schools in 2025–26 with 3 stars, while the Clayton School District ranks in the 35th percentile with 2 stars. That is a real turnaround — in 2017–18 and 2018–19 the school sat in the bottom fifth of schools, and it has now been at or above the state median for three years running.

In 2025–26 Forward Exam results, Clayton was above the state in four of six tested areas: Grade 3 ELA (81.25% versus 52.08%), both mathematics grades, and Grade 4 social studies. Its weaker spots were Grade 4 ELA (50.00%) and Grade 4 science (42.86%), a dip after several stronger science years. Compared with nearby schools, Clayton out-performs Turtle Lake Elementary on all six overlapping tests, is competitive with Unity Elementary, Woodland Elementary, Prairie Farm Elementary and Gaylord A Nelson Educational Center, and generally trails Amery Intermediate and Cumberland Elementary. Because the school is small, just a few students can swing a year's percentages.

Two operational strengths stand out. Chronic absenteeism was 6.0% in 2024–25, well below the district's 12.4% and the state's 17.3%, and lower than Unity Elementary, Woodland Elementary, Ridgeland-Dallas Elementary and Amery Intermediate. Clayton also spends $23,523 per student — the most among the nearby schools — and its student-teacher ratio of 8.8 is the lowest in the comparison group, though small enrollment means those advantages come at a high per-pupil cost. Notably, students from low-income families, about 48% of enrollment, ranked in the 88th percentile statewide in 2025–26.

124

Students ?

8.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,523

Per pupil spending ?

47.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

92%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

236 Polk Ave W
Clayton, WI 54004

(715) 948-2163

District: Clayton School District

Students who attend Clayton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Clayton Middle
High:	Clayton High

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.1%

Hispanic:

3.2%

Asian:

2.4%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Clayton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Wisconsin median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 11 pts below the Wisconsin average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg60%

Wisconsin avg55%

448^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

280^th of 432Clayton School District among Wisconsin districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	448 of 1039	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.5	523 of 1044	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.5	412 of 1061	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.9	721 of 1067	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.6	600 of 1067	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.9	638 of 1050	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.7	855 of 1037	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	834 of 1025	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.4	739 of 1071	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.2	698 of 1075	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	56.0	549 of 1076	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	61.4	418 of 1061	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.5	571 of 1053	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.7	648 of 1045	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	66.6	333 of 1046	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.8	525 of 1045	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.4	470 of 1030	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	44.1	730 of 1021	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	85.7	24 of 632	96.2%	★★★★★
2004	90.0	7 of 633	98.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	42.9	650 of 986	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.8	517 of 1001	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	720 of 1011	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	848 of 1010	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.5	635 of 1017	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.5	783 of 1004	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	811 of 1002	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	856 of 997	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	100 of 848	88.2%	★★★★☆
2025	46.7	487 of 870	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	347 of 866	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	494 of 859	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	82.4	56 of 847	93.4%	★★★★★
2019	37.4	605 of 874	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.9	764 of 854	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	449 of 989	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.4	487 of 1000	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.6	181 of 1012	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	36.4	703 of 1011	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.8	295 of 1017	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	55.6	486 of 1003	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.3	812 of 1002	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.2	771 of 997	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2018	22.1	610 of 721	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	28.9	566 of 715	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	529 of 704	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	683 of 718	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	541 of 686	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+31 vs school

Male (2026)55th percentile~ school

Female (2026)34th percentile-23 vs school

White (2023)21st percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2018)15th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies71%+6 vs state

English Language Arts67%+14 vs state

Mathematics57%+3 vs state

Science43%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Clayton Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	236 Polk Ave W	Clayton	54004	Polk County	Clayton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 948-2163	124	14	8.8	47.6%	113 (91.1%)	2 (1.6%)	4 (3.2%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	59.5	448^th of 1039 public elementary schools	56.9%		55.5	523^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	49.9%	75	81.3	50.0			56.3	57.1			71.4	42.9	92%		$23,523	$935	$22,588
Turtle Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Oak St N	Turtle Lake	54889	Barron County	Turtle Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 986-4470	215	21	10.1	47.4%	180 (83.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.9%)	46.3	641^st of 1039 public elementary schools	38.3%		58.5	485^th of 1044 public elementary schools	53.5%	156	59.1	41.9	51.6		45.5	38.7	74.2		61.3	38.7	85%		$16,384	$1,336	$15,048
Gaylord A Nelson Educational Center	Public	PK, KG-6	135 8th Ave	Clear Lake	54005	Polk County	Clear Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 263-2117	266	23	11.7	38.7%	241 (90.6%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.8%)	47.9	622^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	40.1%		41	715^th of 1044 public elementary schools	31.5%	93	54.1	33.3	42.5	64.9	56.8	33.3	47.5	70.3	58.3	52.8	82%		$16,495	$1,135	$15,360
Amery Intermediate	Public	3-5	543 Minneapolis Ave S	Amery	54001	Polk County	Amery School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 268-9771	260	25	10.3	41.2%	243 (93.5%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	74.7	244^th of 1039 public elementary schools	76.5%		73.2	266^th of 1044 public elementary schools	74.5%	22	84.2	66.2	52.9		82.9	56.3	60.9		77.5	73.2			$18,880	$1,173	$17,706
Lien Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	469 Minneapolis Ave S	Amery	54001	Polk County	Amery School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 268-9771	299	29	10.1	40.8%	274 (91.6%)	3 (1.0%)	14 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)								(n/a)											56%		$19,211	$1,086	$18,125
Barron Area Montessori School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	230 Lulu Avenue	Almena	54805	Barron County	Barron Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 357-3263	59	3	19.6	57.6%	51 (86.4%)	1 (1.7%)	3 (5.1%)	1 (1.7%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)								(n/a)	66.7				50.0						82%		$11,650	$1,273	$10,377
Prairie Farm Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	630 River Ave S	Prairie Farm	54762	Barron County	Prairie Farm Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 455-1861	125	13	9.3	41.6%	124 (99.2%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49.2	604^th of 1039 public elementary schools	41.9%		45.8	643^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	38.4%	39	53.3	71.4	57.1		60.0	28.6	23.8		71.4	50.0	≥ 95%		$18,773	$1,257	$17,516
Ridgeland-Dallas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	315 Main St	Ridgeland	54763	Dunn County	Barron Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 949-1445	68	7	9.5	54.4%	57 (83.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.4%)	7.4	955^th of 1039 public elementary schools	8.1%		25.7	835^th of 1044 public elementary schools	20.0%	120	18.2	28.6			27.3	0.0			28.6	14.3			$17,499	$397	$17,102
Cumberland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1530 2nd Ave	Cumberland	54829	Barron County	Cumberland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 822-5123	334	31	10.7	49.4%	262 (78.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.2%)	4 (1.2%)	24 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.0%)	69.4	323^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	68.9%		47.3	625^th of 1044 public elementary schools	40.1%	302	63.8	56.9			68.1	69.4			74.5	58.8	79%		$18,069	$673	$17,396
Woodland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	808 E Woodland Ave	Barron	54812	Barron County	Barron Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 537-5621	324	30	10.8	64.8%	189 (58.3%)	60 (18.5%)	53 (16.4%)	8 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	53.3	553^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	46.8%		27.9	822^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	21.3%	269	63.8	47.1			70.7	47.1			52.9	51.0	78%		$18,763	$1,565	$17,198

Frequently Asked Questions about Clayton Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Clayton Elementary?

Students at Clayton Elementary are 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Clayton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 124 students attended Clayton Elementary.

What district is Clayton Elementary in?

Clayton School District

Is Clayton Elementary a good school?

Clayton Elementary ranks 448^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Clayton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Clayton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clayton Middle
High : Clayton High

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.