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Colby Middle

Public Grades 6-8

550^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 643 Wisconsin Middle Schools

Better than 14% of Wisconsin middle schools

Summary

Colby Middle is a grades 6–8 school serving 204 students in Colby, Wisconsin, part of the Colby School District, a high-poverty rural district in central Wisconsin.

Academically, Colby Middle ranks 550th of 643 Wisconsin middle schools in 2025–2026 (14th percentile, 1 star) — the lowest in its 10-year history and the lowest among nearby schools. For comparison, Edgar Middle and Stratford Middle sit at the 88th and 70th percentiles, and even the next-lowest nearby school, Loyal Middle School, is at the 26th percentile. In 2025–2026, every reported Forward Exam proficiency rate was below the Wisconsin average, often by wide margins: 6th-grade ELA at 23.88% versus 54.95% statewide, 8th-grade ELA at 25.00% versus 54.38%, and 8th-grade math at 27.54% versus 53.67%. Colby was the lowest of the nearby schools in 7 of 8 tested grade and subject areas, and its effectiveness rankings for specific student groups are among the lowest in the state — English learners, special education students, and low-income students all rank at or below the 10th percentile.

Attendance is the clearest bright spot: chronic absenteeism fell from 30.3% in 2020–2021 to 8.3% in 2024–2025, better than the district and state and better than Marshfield Middle, Medford Middle, and Owen-Withee Junior High. The reported dropout rate has been 0.0% for five years. Colby also spends $18,727 per student — the most among nearby schools, and far more than Owen-Withee's $9,729 despite a similar low-income rate — while posting the lowest proficiency. Class sizes, at 13.8 students per teacher, are mid-pack. The takeaway: strong attendance and ample funding have not yet translated into classroom results.

204

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,727

Per pupil spending ?

59.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

703 N 2nd St
Colby, WI 54421

(715) 223-8869

District: Colby School District

Students who attend Colby Middle usually attend:

High:

Colby High

Feeder schools for Colby Middle:

Elementary:

Colby Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.4%

Hispanic:

41.7%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated Wisconsin middle schools

Compare Colby Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 20th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (32% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Wisconsin avg56%

550^th of 643

Wisconsin public middle schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

413^th of 432Colby 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	17.4	550 of 643	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.3	521 of 628	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	529 of 641	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	526 of 640	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	472 of 617	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.4	500 of 613	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	415 of 594	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.5	456 of 579	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.0	508 of 612	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.4	490 of 609	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.7	454 of 612	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	51.4	333 of 585	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.6	379 of 569	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.0	322 of 559	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.9	235 of 549	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.7	114 of 539	78.8%	★★★★☆
2009	49.1	351 of 521	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.6	287 of 519	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	42.6	292 of 382	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.1	266 of 332	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	56.9	195 of 324	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	152 of 169	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.0	116 of 178	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	84 of 173	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.0	112 of 170	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.7	102 of 158	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.7	104 of 138	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	54.4	47 of 153	69.3%	★★★★☆
2018	37.2	86 of 140	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	23.0	462 of 572	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.3	449 of 573	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	471 of 580	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.3	455 of 579	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.2	410 of 576	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.5	364 of 574	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	372 of 557	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.2	416 of 551	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	8.5	230 of 236	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	466 of 513	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.8	463 of 509	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	463 of 520	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	430 of 525	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.5	387 of 522	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.8	422 of 499	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.2	330 of 487	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.3	378 of 489	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	14.5	500 of 575	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	496 of 577	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	469 of 585	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	501 of 591	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	456 of 577	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.7	515 of 572	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.3	398 of 557	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	433 of 551	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	17.4	401 of 439	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.6	361 of 414	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.4	251 of 425	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.4	217 of 439	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.9	225 of 421	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.6	352 of 437	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	70.5	62 of 414	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	40.3	244 of 417	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	19.4	340 of 391	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.1	342 of 399	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	346 of 407	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.8	323 of 412	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	296 of 397	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	365 of 393	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	29.0	300 of 382	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	312 of 375	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)19th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

White (2026)13th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)10th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)9th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)3rd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies42%-23 vs state

Mathematics32%-22 vs state

English Language Arts30%-25 vs state

Science29%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Colby Middle

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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 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)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colby Middle	Public	6-8	703 N 2nd St	Colby	54421	Clark County	Colby School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 223-8869	204	15	13.8	59.8%	113 (55.4%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (41.7%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	17.4	550^th of 643 public middle schools	14.5%		20.3	521^st of 628 public middle schools	17.0%	29		23.9	44.4	25.0		31.3	38.9	27.5	42.0	29.0	$18,727	$1,252	$17,475
Owen-Withee Junior High	Public	6-8	832 W 3rd St	Owen	54460	Clark County	Owen-Withee School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 229-2151	112	6	20.1	58.9%	88 (78.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (17.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	46.3	384^th of 643 public middle schools	40.3%		29.7	482^nd of 628 public middle schools	23.2%	98		64.0	37.5	40.0		64.0	58.3	48.6	57.1	45.7	$9,729	$316	$9,412
Athens Middle	Public	6-8	601 W Village Limits Rd	Athens	54411	Marathon County	Athens School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(715) 257-7511	79	6	12.9	30.4%	72 (91.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55	307^th of 643 public middle schools	52.3%		63.3	232^nd of 628 public middle schools	63.1%	75		59.5	54.6	53.9		56.8	42.4	46.2	76.9	53.9	$15,164	$1,002	$14,162
Stratford Middle	Public	6-8	213311 Legion St	Stratford	54484	Marathon County	Stratford School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 687-4311	163	12	13.4	24.5%	148 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	67.9	192^nd of 643 public middle schools	70.1%		74.9	124^th of 628 public middle schools	80.3%	68		65.0	71.2	46.9		75.0	71.2	71.4	69.4	44.9	$15,140	$940	$14,200
Medford Middle	Public	5-8	509 E Clark St	Medford	54451	Taylor County	Medford Area Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 748-2516	566	50	11.2	41.3%	499 (88.2%)	6 (1.1%)	47 (8.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	45.3	393^rd of 643 public middle schools	38.9%		38.3	441^st of 628 public middle schools	29.8%	48	40.5	44.8	53.2	49.2	57.4	54.4	48.9	42.4	59.9	49.2	$12,808	$397	$12,411
Loyal Middle School	Public	6-8	514 W Central	Loyal	54446	Clark County	Loyal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 255-8511	108	9	12.0	42.6%	98 (90.7%)	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	33.7	476^th of 643 public middle schools	26.0%		39.4	433^rd of 628 public middle schools	31.1%	43		52.0	26.5	37.9		48.0	47.1	34.5	62.1	41.4	$17,637	$1,330	$16,308
Edgar Middle	Public	6-8	203 E Birch St	Edgar	54426	Marathon County	Edgar School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 352-2352	120	10	11.8	32.5%	115 (95.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	81.8	80^th of 643 public middle schools	87.6%		72.2	152^nd of 628 public middle schools	75.8%	72		60.0	85.0	68.4		80.0	75.0	55.3	89.5	71.1	$15,625	$530	$15,095
Marshfield Middle	Public	7-8	900 E 4th St	Marshfield	54449	Wood County	Marshfield Unified School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 387-1249	537	37	14.6	35.2%	455 (84.7%)	6 (1.1%)	46 (8.6%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	60	264^th of 643 public middle schools	58.9%		68.6	194^th of 628 public middle schools	69.1%	70			55.3	57.5			61.3	61.5	65.1	52.0	$14,340	$338	$14,002

Frequently Asked Questions about Colby Middle

What high school do graduates of Colby Middle attend?

Students who attend Colby Middle usually go on to attend Colby High

Is Colby Middle a good school?

Colby Middle ranks in the bottom 14.5% of Wisconsin middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Colby Middle?

Students at Colby Middle are 55% White, 42% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Colby Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 204 students attended Colby Middle.

What district is Colby Middle in?

Colby School District

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 1, 2026

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

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025

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.