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Lake Mills High

Public Grades 9-12

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 90% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Lake Mills High is a four-year public high school serving 447 students in grades 9–12, located in the small city of Lake Mills in Jefferson County, roughly midway between Madison and Milwaukee, and part of the Lake Mills Area School District. In 2025-2026 it ranked 51st of 533 Wisconsin high schools — the 90th percentile, a 5-star rating, and the best placement in its ten years of rank history. That climb is a trend, not a fluke: the school rose from the 53rd percentile in 2021-2022 to 84th in 2024-2025 and then 90th. The high school also outperforms its own district, which ranks at the 75th percentile (110 of 432).

Compared with nearby high schools, Lake Mills leads on test scores by wide margins. In tenth-grade testing, 70.8% of students were proficient in English language arts (versus 48.5% statewide), 63.5% in math, and 65.6% in science — each roughly 20-plus points above the state and ahead of the next-closest comprehensive peer, Cambridge High. Gains in these three subjects have been about 25–28 points over four years. Graduation rates have stayed between 95.8% and 100% for five straight years with near-zero dropout. Chronic absenteeism, at 10.2%, is well below the state's 17.3% and second-lowest in the peer group behind Fort Atkinson High. Notably, Lake Mills spends $15,178 per student — less than every other comprehensive peer, about 13% below the peer average — while producing the group's strongest results.

Two areas deserve attention. Social studies is the soft spot: at 53.3% proficient, Lake Mills trails Jefferson High and Cambridge High, and the score swung 23 points in one year, making it hard to draw firm conclusions. Chronic absenteeism is the one metric moving the wrong way, up from 7.4% to 10.2% and now above the district's 7.3%. Group performance is broadly strong but uneven: female students rank at the 92nd percentile, male students at the 84th, and students from low-income families at the 72nd, while special education students, at the 67th percentile, remain the lowest-ranked group — still above the statewide median.

447

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,178

Per pupil spending ?

25.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

615 Catlin Dr
Lake Mills, WI 53551-1897

(920) 648-2355

District: Lake Mills Area School District

Feeder schools for Lake Mills High:

Elementary:	Lake Mills Elementary
Middle:	Lake Mills Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.7%

Hispanic:

13.4%

Two or more races:

2.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 81st percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (63% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Wisconsin high schools

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Wisconsin average (92%)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg63%

Wisconsin avg46%

51^st of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

110^th of 432Lake Mills Area 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	84.3	51 of 533	90.4%	★★★★★
2025	77.8	68 of 431	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	144 of 431	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.1	113 of 415	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	49.6	184 of 391	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.1	110 of 390	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	86 of 400	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	63.4	124 of 410	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.2	102 of 410	75.1%	★★★★☆
2016	72.8	77 of 408	81.1%	★★★★☆
2015	79.9	37 of 466	92.1%	★★★★★
2014	74.4	95 of 462	79.4%	★★★★☆
2013	60.9	182 of 457	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.6	197 of 452	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.5	198 of 445	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.3	97 of 450	78.4%	★★★★☆
2009	80.0	42 of 438	90.4%	★★★★★
2008	70.1	114 of 437	73.9%	★★★★☆
2007	75.8	50 of 281	82.2%	★★★★☆
2006	68.2	101 of 292	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.4	97 of 287	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	38 of 461	91.8%	★★★★★
2025	83.8	39 of 358	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.9	128 of 353	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.7	57 of 329	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	51.8	166 of 343	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.8	112 of 332	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	135 of 343	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.0	191 of 355	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	125 of 446	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	60.4	112 of 335	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	91 of 250	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.5	120 of 251	52.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	77.9	75 of 462	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	64.8	120 of 380	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	134 of 365	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.4	185 of 359	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.8	163 of 347	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.2	64 of 334	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.1	56 of 354	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.5	86 of 373	76.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	56.0	111 of 333	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.3	43 of 93	53.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	54 of 344	84.3%	★★★★☆
2025	80.2	47 of 285	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	65.5	87 of 300	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	62.4	84 of 271	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.4	131 of 269	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.3	78 of 266	70.7%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	79 of 266	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	64.3	75 of 261	71.3%	★★★★☆

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)92nd percentile~ school

White (2026)84th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)84th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)67th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts71%+22 vs state

Science66%+22 vs state

Mathematics64%+21 vs state

Social Studies53%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lake Mills High

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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 Social Studies (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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lake Mills High	Public	9-12	615 Catlin Dr	Lake Mills	53551	Jefferson County	Lake Mills Area School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 648-2355	447	33	13.7	25.3%	374 (83.7%)	2 (0.4%)	60 (13.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	84.3	51^st of 533 public high schools	90.4%		77.8	68^th of 431 public high schools	84.2%	17	70.8	63.5	65.6	53.3	$15,178	$528	$14,650
Jefferson High	Public	9-12	700 W Milwaukee St	Jefferson	53549	Jefferson County	Jefferson School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 675-1100	603	43	13.9	35.0%	425 (70.5%)	5 (0.8%)	142 (23.5%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.0%)	67.3	163^rd of 533 public high schools	69.4%		40	285^th of 431 public high schools	33.9%	122	49.1	46.4	49.1	59.2	$16,791	$279	$16,512
Cambridge High	Public	9-12	403 Blue Jay Way	Cambridge	53523	Jefferson County	Cambridge School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 423-3261	277	19	14.3	20.9%	243 (87.7%)	3 (1.1%)	14 (5.1%)	9 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	72.9	118^th of 533 public high schools	77.9%		70.6	93^rd of 431 public high schools	78.4%	25	61.4	49.3	50.7	55.4	$18,468	$267	$18,201
DOC: Thompson Correctional Center	Public	7-12	434 State Farm Rd	Deerfield	53531	Dane County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(608) 423-3415	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Koshkonong Trails School	Public, Charter	7-12	37 Oakland Rd	Cambridge	53523	Dane County	Cambridge School District	Yes	No	No	No	(608) 423-8040	28	2	13.7	17.9%	27 (96.4%)	1 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				33.3	$17,660	$271	$17,389
Deerfield High	Public	9-12	300 Simonson Blvd	Deerfield	53531	Dane County	Deerfield Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 764-5431	207	18	11.6	21.3%	173 (83.6%)	6 (2.9%)	17 (8.2%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.3%)	50.8	283^rd of 533 public high schools	46.9%		38.3	294^th of 431 public high schools	31.8%	11	42.0	42.0	36.0	51.9	$17,341	$256	$17,085
Fort Atkinson High	Public	9-12	925 Lexington Blvd	Fort Atkinson	53538	Jefferson County	Fort Atkinson School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 563-7811	816	60	13.7	26.5%	631 (77.3%)	16 (2.0%)	122 (15.0%)	15 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	21 (2.6%)	55.1	253^rd of 533 public high schools	52.5%		45.1	252^nd of 431 public high schools	41.5%	1	48.7	38.9	48.7	42.9	$17,394	$221	$17,173
Waterloo High	Public	9-12	865 N Monroe St	Waterloo	53594	Jefferson County	Waterloo School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 478-2171	232	16	14.2	37.9%	156 (67.2%)	4 (1.7%)	66 (28.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	45	320^th of 533 public high schools	40.0%		22.3	367^th of 431 public high schools	14.8%	47	45.2	33.9	33.9	48.9	$16,217	$532	$15,685
Marshall High	Public	9-12	623 Madison St	Marshall	53559	Dane County	Marshall School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 655-1310	281	24	11.8	34.9%	175 (62.3%)	12 (4.3%)	66 (23.5%)	9 (3.2%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.7%)	44.8	321^st of 533 public high schools	39.8%		56	189^th of 431 public high schools	56.1%	132	52.5	30.5	32.2	45.0	$17,513	$14,862	$2,651
Watertown High	Public	9-12	825 Endeavour Dr	Watertown	53098	Dodge County	Watertown Unified School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 262-7500	1,012	68	14.9	34.7%	713 (70.5%)	18 (1.8%)	219 (21.6%)	12 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.7%)	46	316^th of 533 public high schools	40.7%		42.4	274^th of 431 public high schools	36.4%	42	41.7	38.8	38.8	43.1	$18,015	$900	$17,114

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Mills High

How many students attend Lake Mills High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 447 students attended Lake Mills High.

What is the racial makeup of Lake Mills High?

Students at Lake Mills High are 84% White, 13% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Lake Mills High a good school?

Yes. Lake Mills High ranks in the top 9.6% of Wisconsin high schools.

What district is Lake Mills High in?

Lake Mills Area School District

What schools feed into Lake Mills High?

Lake Mills High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Lake Mills Elementary
Middle : Lake Mills Middle

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

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

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.