Summary
Washington Middle is a 6–8 school with 566 students at 2101 Division St in Manitowoc, WI, part of the Manitowoc School District. Its 2025–2026 rank is 491st of 643 Wisconsin middle schools (24th percentile, 1 star), up from 549th of 641 in 2023–2024 but down from 284th of 609 in 2015–2016. The district ranks 385th of 432 Wisconsin districts (11th percentile, 1 star).
On 2025–2026 Forward Exam results, Washington’s 6–8 averages are 37.1% in ELA, 39.7% in math, 38.7% in 8th-grade science, and 60.7% in 8th-grade social studies. It has the lowest 6–8 ELA and math averages among the six comparison schools. 8th grade is a relative strength: social studies is 60.69%, close to state average 64.63% and above Wilson Middle, Mishicot Middle, and Clarke Middle; 8th-grade math (45.93%) edges Wilson Middle and Valders Middle. The weakest area is 6th grade: ELA 25.85%, math 31.29%, both lowest nearby. Chronic absenteeism is the standout concern at 28.9%, higher than the district (20.8%), state (17.3%), Wilson Middle (17.2%), and above Howards Grove Middle (7.0%), Mishicot Middle (7.3%), and Valders Middle (6.5%). Washington has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (62.37%), yet its $15,646 per-student spending is third highest and its 12.3 student-teacher ratio is smaller than Howards Grove’s and Mishicot’s. A bright spot is English Language Learner students, who rank in the 61st percentile with 3 stars.
Compared with the nearest same-district school, Wilson Middle (413th of 643, 36th percentile, 2 stars) outperforms Washington in ELA and science and has much lower chronic absenteeism (17.2% vs. 28.9%) and free/reduced lunch (38.91% vs. 62.37%). Howards Grove Middle shows the scale of the gap: a 5-star, 91st-percentile school with roughly 70–75% ELA and math proficiency, 92.16% in 8th-grade social studies, 7.0% chronic absenteeism, and 14.84% free/reduced lunch. Mishicot Middle and Valders Middle also outperform Washington with lower absenteeism and poverty, while Washington is more similar to Clarke Middle, another 1-star school, though Washington outperforms Clarke Middle in 8th-grade social studies and science. Washington faces high poverty, high absenteeism, and low achievement, but recent improvement and strong English Learner results are positive signs.
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