East High

East High is a 9–12 comprehensive high school serving 1,119 students at 1415 E Walnut St in Green Bay, Wisconsin, part of the Green Bay Area Public School District, which itself ranks near the low end of Wisconsin districts. About two-thirds of East students — 66.6% — are economically disadvantaged, and the school has historically ranked in the bottom 2–3% of Wisconsin high schools. In 2025–2026, however, East climbed to the 13th percentile and earned its first star in the available history, a genuine break from that long pattern.

Several numbers stand out against nearby schools. Chronic absenteeism is East's defining challenge: 45.6% of students are chronically absent, the highest among the district's comprehensive high schools (West High at 44.1%, Preble High at 34.4%, Southwest High at 29.7%) and 2.6 times the state rate. Yet East's 87.0% graduation rate is above its own district average and only about 5 points below the state, even though 10th-grade proficiency in English, math and science sits at roughly half the state level. East also spends $15,462 per student — more than De Pere High ($14,007) and West De Pere High ($14,221), both of which post about triple East's proficiency — so funding and class size do not appear to be the limiting factors.

The trend lines are encouraging. Since 2022–2023, math and science proficiency have roughly doubled and English language arts is up about 7 points, even while the poverty rate stayed flat. Parents weighing options should also know that against the two small, higher-spending alternatives within a mile — Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation and John Dewey Academy of Learning — East achieves higher graduation rates and far lower dropout rates, suggesting its larger, conventional structure is a relative strength.