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Northern Waters Environmental School

Q: Is Northern Waters Environmental School a good school?

Northern Waters Environmental School ranks 295 th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

295^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 45% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Northern Waters Environmental School is a small public school in Hayward, Wisconsin, serving just 43 students in grades 6–12 as part of the Hayward Community School District, located about 0.14 miles from Hayward High (522 students, grades 9–12) and about 18.28 miles from Northwood High/Middle (140 students, grades 6–12) in the Northwood School District. Northern Waters is roughly one-twelfth the size of Hayward High.

Student engagement and completion are this school's clearest strengths. Its graduation rate was 100.0% in 2024–2025, above the district (92.9%) and state (92.0%), and its dropout rate was 0.0% in 2024–2025 and in each of the three prior years, with a single 3.8% in 2020–2021. Chronic absenteeism was just 2.3% in 2024–2025 and 0.0% in each of the four prior years shown — far below Hayward High's 30.2%, Northwood High/Middle's 13.0%, and district and state rates near 17–18%. Notably, the school spends less per student ($11,864) than either nearby school ($15,920 and $17,689), while its free/reduced lunch share (44.19%) is similar to theirs.

Academics are uneven. Math is the persistent weak spot: 2025–2026 Forward math was 14.29% in 6th grade, 28.57% in 7th, and 25% in 8th, all below district and state, and 10th grade ACT math was 25%. Science stands out — ACT science was 62.5%, well above Hayward High (42.68%) and Northwood High/Middle (28.57%). ELA is mixed: 7th grade was 57.14% (above district and state), but 6th grade was 28.57% and ACT ELA 37.5%. The school ranks 295th of 533 Wisconsin schools (45th percentile, 2 stars). With only 43 students, a single student can move a grade-level rate by 10–20 points, so year-to-year swings should be read cautiously.

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,864

Per pupil spending ?

44.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10256 Greenwood Ln
Hayward, WI 54843

(715) 634-2619

District: Hayward Community School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.1%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Hispanic:

7.0%

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At a glance

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Wisconsin average (92%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (38% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 32 pts below the Wisconsin average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg57%

Wisconsin avg53%

Middle school

515^th of 643

Wisconsin public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

295^th of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Bottom 45%

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Hayward Community School District

249^th of 432Hayward Community 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	515 of 643	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.4	447 of 628	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.1	462 of 641	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.3	433 of 640	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.7	267 of 613	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.6	485 of 594	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.5	330 of 579	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	54.5	272 of 612	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.1	304 of 609	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.0	336 of 612	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies50%-15 vs state

English Language Arts45%-9 vs state

Science38%-14 vs state

Mathematics23%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northern Waters Environmental School

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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)				ACT English Language Arts (2026)	ACT Mathematics (2026)	ACT Science (2026)	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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th 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 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northern Waters Environmental School	Public, Charter	6-12	10256 Greenwood Ln	Hayward	54843	Sawyer County	Hayward Community School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 634-2619	43	3	14.3	44.2%	34 (79.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (9.3%)	49.5	295^th of 533 public high schools	44.7%					(n/a)	37.5	25.0	62.5	28.6	57.1	50.0	14.3	28.6	25.0	50.0		37.5	$11,864	$229	$11,635
Hayward High	Public	9-12	10320 Greenwood Ln	Hayward	54843	Sawyer County	Hayward Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 634-2619	522	40	13.0	46.4%	311 (59.6%)	7 (1.3%)	31 (5.9%)	4 (0.8%)	118 (22.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (9.8%)	53.8	262^nd of 533 public high schools	50.8%		50.4	216^th of 431 public high schools	49.9%	46	44.6	47.0	42.7								44.8		$15,920	$409	$15,511
Northwood High/Middle	Public, Charter	6-12	N14463 Highway 53	Minong	54859	Washburn County	Northwood School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 466-2297	140	14	10.0	48.6%	127 (90.7%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.3%)	33.6	382^nd of 533 public high schools	28.3%		43.5	263^rd of 431 public high schools	39.0%	119	28.6	28.6	28.6	53.3	33.3	50.0	20.0	13.3	25.0	56.3	45.8	37.5	$17,689	$669	$17,020
Gordon Correctional Center	Public	7-12	10401 E County Road G	Gordon	54838	Douglas County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(715) 376-2680	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Waters Environmental School

How many students attend Northern Waters Environmental School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 43 students attended Northern Waters Environmental School.

What is the racial makeup of Northern Waters Environmental School?

Students at Northern Waters Environmental School are 79% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 5% American Indian.

What district is Northern Waters Environmental School in?

Hayward Community School District

Is Northern Waters Environmental School a good school?

Northern Waters Environmental School ranks 295^th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Northern Waters Environmental School!

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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.