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Southern Bluffs Elementary

Q: Is Southern Bluffs Elementary a good school?

Southern Bluffs Elementary ranks 574 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

574^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Southern Bluffs Elementary is a PK–5 school at 4010 Sunnyside Dr on the south side of La Crosse, Wisconsin, serving 333 students — the largest elementary enrollment among its nearby comparison schools — as part of the La Crosse School District, which ranks in the lower half of Wisconsin districts overall.

Two things stand out as real strengths. First, attendance: chronic absenteeism was just 10.9% in 2024-25, roughly half the district's 19.6% and below the state's 17.3%, and the school has beaten both for five straight years. Among nearby schools, only State Road Elementary (7.3%) and Emerson Elementary (10.8%) came close, while Hamilton Elementary School (30.6%) and Hintgen Elementary (25.0%) ran nearly three times higher. Second, value: at $15,696 per student, Southern Bluffs spends $7,000–$9,000 less per pupil than Northside Elementary, Hamilton, and Hintgen — which all land in the 11th–13th percentile — and outranks them by 30-plus percentile points. It still trails Spence Elementary (75th percentile) and Emerson (66th).

The concern is a sharp one-year slide. After a decade in the 53rd–66th percentile, Southern Bluffs fell in 2025-26 to the 45th percentile (2 stars), its lowest mark in ten years, even as the district improved and Coulee Montessori Charter School (+30 percentile points), State Road (+20), and Emerson (+16) surged. Test scores still beat the district in 6 of 8 grade/subject cells — about 1.5 points above district in ELA and 4.1 in math, though slightly below state in both — but grade 4 dropped in every subject and math fell across grades 3–5. Students from low-income families posted a 1-star, 21st-percentile result for the second time in three years. The key question for parents: was 2025-26 a one-year correction or the start of a trend?

333

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,696

Per pupil spending ?

35.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4010 Sunnyside Dr
La Crosse, WI 54601-2251

(608) 789-7020

District: La Crosse School District

Students who attend Southern Bluffs Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Longfellow Middle
High:	Central High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.8%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Asian:

3.9%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Southern Bluffs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 48th percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg51%

Wisconsin avg55%

574^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 11Elementary Schools in the La Crosse School District

294^th of 432La Crosse 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	51.2	574 of 1039	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	66.4	368 of 1044	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.7	476 of 1061	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	490 of 1067	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.3	478 of 1067	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	479 of 1050	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	363 of 1037	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	351 of 1025	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.0	508 of 1071	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.3	555 of 1075	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	61.5	444 of 1076	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.4	593 of 1061	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.4	672 of 1053	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.7	858 of 1045	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	58.2	515 of 1046	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.6	612 of 1045	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	34.8	815 of 1030	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.7	828 of 1021	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	40.2	520 of 689	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	44.8	494 of 712	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	537 of 986	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.1	410 of 1001	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	459 of 1011	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	381 of 1010	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.9	317 of 1017	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.7	392 of 1004	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.6	625 of 1002	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.0	511 of 997	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	667 of 848	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	55.3	362 of 870	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.6	685 of 866	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	779 of 871	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	530 of 859	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.0	486 of 847	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.3	591 of 874	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.0	458 of 854	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	567 of 989	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	68.4	320 of 1000	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.4	443 of 1012	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	535 of 1011	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.7	603 of 1017	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.9	541 of 1003	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.4	127 of 1002	87.3%	★★★★☆
2018	74.3	196 of 997	80.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	482 of 791	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.6	256 of 802	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.6	298 of 790	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	260 of 770	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.8	361 of 746	51.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	573 of 697	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	55.0	336 of 718	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.0	377 of 704	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.7	407 of 699	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.6	375 of 718	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)46th percentile~ school

Male (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)39th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)21st percentile-23 vs school

White (2026)18th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies67%~ state avg

Science56%~ state avg

English Language Arts52%~ state avg

Mathematics50%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern Bluffs 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 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/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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southern Bluffs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4010 Sunnyside Dr	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 789-7020	333	26	12.7	35.7%	289 (86.8%)	3 (0.9%)	9 (2.7%)	13 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.7%)	51.2	574^th of 1039 public elementary schools	44.8%		66.4	368^th of 1044 public elementary schools	64.8%	206	55.8	46.7	52.8	55.8	42.2	50.9	66.7	55.6	$15,696	$653	$15,042
Hintgen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3505 28th St S	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 789-7767	210	28	7.6	79.0%	102 (48.6%)	25 (11.9%)	11 (5.2%)	31 (14.8%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (18.1%)	12.9	920^th of 1039 public elementary schools	11.5%		12.3	928^th of 1044 public elementary schools	11.1%	8	33.3	28.0	27.8	29.6	20.0	16.7	36.0	32.0	$22,456	$1,905	$20,550
State Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 Pammel Creek Rd	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 789-7690	284	23	12.1	38.0%	222 (78.2%)	9 (3.2%)	19 (6.7%)	6 (2.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.8%)	65.4	377^th of 1039 public elementary schools	63.7%		49.8	589^th of 1044 public elementary schools	43.6%	212	62.2	73.3	50.0	60.0	64.4	52.8	75.6	53.3	$16,172	$624	$15,548
Spence Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2150 Bennett St	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 789-7773	329	28	11.6	54.7%	201 (61.1%)	14 (4.3%)	21 (6.4%)	54 (16.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.6%)	73.6	259^th of 1039 public elementary schools	75.1%		65.4	375^th of 1044 public elementary schools	64.1%	116	78.3	72.5	53.5	58.7	70.0	51.2	90.0	70.0	$17,754	$1,047	$16,707
School of Technology and Arts I	Public, Charter	K-5	1111 7th St S	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	Yes	No	No	No	(608) 789-7695	104	7	15.6	23.1%	84 (80.8%)	2 (1.9%)	8 (7.7%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.7%)	78.5	188^th of 1039 public elementary schools	81.9%		73.4	262^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	74.9%	74	89.5	76.5	81.3	73.7	52.9	43.8	88.2	70.6	$15,322	$311	$15,011
Hamilton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 7th St S	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 789-7695	151	20	7.5	80.1%	53 (35.1%)	35 (23.2%)	17 (11.3%)	10 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (23.8%)	15.8	900^th of 1039 public elementary schools	13.4%		7.2	955^th of 1044 public elementary schools	8.5%	55	31.6	31.8	22.2	33.3	31.8	16.7	36.4	36.4	$22,945	$2,146	$20,799
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2101 Campbell Rd	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 789-7990	317	25	12.4	26.8%	247 (77.9%)	11 (3.5%)	23 (7.3%)	16 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.0%)	67.3	355^th of 1039 public elementary schools	65.8%		55.5	518^th of 1044 public elementary schools	50.4%	163	74.0	58.7	51.2	70.0	60.9	48.8	78.7	59.6	$15,886	$541	$15,345
Stoddard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 N Cottage St	Stoddard	54658	Vernon County	De Soto Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 457-2101	105	9	12.1	23.8%	98 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	50.4	587^th of 1039 public elementary schools	43.5%		65.2	379^th of 1044 public elementary schools	63.7%	208	58.8	53.3	70.6	29.4	40.0	52.9	66.7	46.7	$17,247	$1,819	$15,428
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1611 Kane St	La Crosse	54603	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 789-7970	237	33	7.2	84.8%	97 (40.9%)	22 (9.3%)	19 (8.0%)	54 (22.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (18.6%)	14.7	911^th of 1039 public elementary schools	12.3%		17.6	890^th of 1044 public elementary schools	14.8%	21	18.2	25.8	34.2	22.7	16.1	40.5	45.2	25.8	$24,890	$2,388	$22,502
Coulee Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	1611 Kane St	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(608) 789-7970	118	9	13.8	66.1%	85 (72.0%)	5 (4.2%)	8 (6.8%)	7 (5.9%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.2%)	51.7	568^th of 1039 public elementary schools	45.3%		17.9	886^th of 1044 public elementary schools	15.1%	318	54.6	64.3	43.8	54.6	50.0	37.5	78.6	50.0	$14,882	$1,144	$13,738

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Bluffs Elementary

What schools do graduates of Southern Bluffs Elementary attend?

Students who attend Southern Bluffs Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Longfellow Middle
High : Central High

What is the racial makeup of Southern Bluffs Elementary?

Students at Southern Bluffs Elementary are 87% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% Hispanic.

Is Southern Bluffs Elementary a good school?

Southern Bluffs Elementary ranks 574^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southern Bluffs Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 333 students attended Southern Bluffs Elementary.

What district is Southern Bluffs Elementary in?

La Crosse School District

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 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.