Florence Elementary

Florence Elementary is a small, rural PK–6 school at 5844 Bill Anderson Dr in Florence, Wisconsin, serving 197 students in the Florence County School District in the state's northern woods.

Florence Elementary's clearest strength is attendance. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 19.4% in 2021-22 to 5.7% in 2024-25 — roughly one-third of Wisconsin's 17.3% rate and below the district's own 8.8%. The school also serves its low-income students notably well: students from low socio-economic backgrounds moved from the 31st to the 72nd percentile statewide over three years, earning 4 stars even though about 46.7% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. In English language arts, Florence's average now sits above the state (54.7% vs. 53.6%) for the first time in the available data, and the school's overall rank rose to the 44th percentile in 2025-26, its best showing since 2016-17.

Math remains the unresolved issue. Florence's math average is 42.4% against a 53.3% state average, and third-grade math proficiency has run 21 to 36 points below the state every year. Male students sit at the 27th percentile (1 star) for three straight years, while female students reached the 60th percentile. Small cohorts of roughly 22–28 students mean single-grade results should be read as directional. The natural comparison is Niagara Elementary, 15.65 miles away in the Niagara School District, which serves a nearly identical population (46.86% free/reduced lunch) on about $5,200 less per pupil ($13,551 vs. $18,778) and a 14:1 student–teacher ratio, yet posts a slightly higher test composite. Notably, Florence's district outperforms its elementary school, while at Niagara the elementary is the stronger link.