Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Northwestern Elementary

Q: Is Northwestern Elementary a good school?

Northwestern Elementary ranks 388 th of 1044 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

388^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,044 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Northwestern Elementary is a public elementary school in Poplar, Wisconsin, serving 502 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Maple School District, which is ranked 141 out of 426 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwestern Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 388 out of 1,044 Wisconsin elementary schools in 2024-2025 to 500 out of 1,050 in 2020-2021. The school's performance on the Forward Exam is generally above the state average in most subjects and grade levels, with 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students outperforming the state in English Language Arts and Mathematics in 2024-2025. However, the school's performance lags behind the Maple School District average in several areas, suggesting room for improvement. Compared to nearby schools, such as Iron River Elementary and some of the Superior School District schools, Northwestern Elementary's ranking and rating are generally in the middle range.

One area of concern for Northwestern Elementary is the increasing chronic absenteeism rate, which has risen from 11.6% in 2022-2023 to 17.7% in 2023-2024. This trend can negatively impact student learning and achievement. The school's per-student spending has increased over the years, and its student-teacher ratio is in the middle range compared to nearby schools. While Northwestern Elementary has strengths, such as its performance for low socioeconomic status students, the school must continue to address areas for improvement, such as chronic absenteeism and potential achievement gaps, to ensure consistent academic success for all its students.

515

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,528

Per pupil spending ?

31.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10465 E US Highway 2
Poplar, WI 54864

(715) 364-8465

District: Maple School District

Students who attend Northwestern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Northwestern Middle
High:	Northwestern High

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Hispanic:

1.7%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Northwestern Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2015 → 63rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (61% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Wisconsin median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg61%

Wisconsin avg54%

388^th of 1,044

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Maple School District

141^st of 426Maple 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
2025	65.0	388 of 1044	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.5	528 of 1061	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	571 of 1067	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.0	594 of 1067	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.9	500 of 1050	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	463 of 1037	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	501 of 1025	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.0	411 of 1071	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	40.8	721 of 1075	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	60.0	483 of 1076	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	69.8	267 of 1061	74.8%	★★★★☆
2013	67.7	288 of 1053	72.6%	★★★★☆
2012	54.8	596 of 1045	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.9	727 of 1046	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.6	558 of 1045	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.0	573 of 1030	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.5	696 of 1021	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	64.1	296 of 689	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.6	221 of 712	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.9	210 of 632	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	67.2	329 of 1001	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	507 of 1011	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.6	579 of 1010	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.5	511 of 1017	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.0	424 of 1004	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.0	515 of 1002	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.9	468 of 997	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	68.7	189 of 870	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	46.9	491 of 866	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.0	461 of 871	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.5	468 of 859	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.6	260 of 847	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.0	525 of 874	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.8	400 of 854	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	60.2	416 of 1000	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	486 of 1012	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.5	473 of 1011	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	612 of 1017	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.5	531 of 1003	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.6	365 of 1002	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.7	482 of 997	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	51.7	351 of 802	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	346 of 790	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.5	304 of 770	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.8	511 of 748	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	439 of 746	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.3	269 of 742	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.3	424 of 721	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	45.3	414 of 718	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.6	517 of 727	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.6	416 of 715	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.7	570 of 704	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	54.8	304 of 699	56.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)67th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)58th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)42nd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies72%+8 vs state

English Language Arts63%+11 vs state

Science58%+7 vs state

Mathematics55%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Northwestern Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Northwestern Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Northwestern Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2025)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2025)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2025)	Forward Exam Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th 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
Northwestern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10465 E US Highway 2	Poplar	54864	Douglas County	Maple School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 364-8465	515	30	17.0	31.8%	472 (91.7%)	3 (0.6%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.0%)	65	388^th of 1044 public elementary schools	62.8%		57.5	528^th of 1061 public elementary schools	50.2%	140	64.4	59.0	65.4		53.4	48.7	64.1		71.8	57.7	$11,528	$729	$10,800
Four Corners Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4465 E County Road B	Superior	54880	Douglas County	Superior School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 399-8911	200	13	15.5	10.5%	181 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.5%)	58.1	489^th of 1044 public elementary schools	53.2%		51.6	610^th of 1061 public elementary schools	42.5%	121	48.6	60.0	57.1		62.9	56.7	42.9		66.7	56.7	$13,237	$874	$12,363
Iron River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7730 Pettingill Ave	Iron River	54847	Bayfield County	Maple School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 372-4334	95	6	15.3	37.9%	80 (84.2%)	1 (1.1%)	5 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	69.3	329^th of 1044 public elementary schools	68.5%		67.9	357^th of 1061 public elementary schools	66.4%	28	37.5	52.9	91.7		87.5	58.8	83.3		70.6	58.8	$14,684	$262	$14,422
Eagles' Wings Public Montessori Charter	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	8993 E Baldwin Ave	Solon Springs	54873	Douglas County	Solon Springs School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 378-2263	89	10	9.3	42.7%	85 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.4	572^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	45.2%		25.9	844^th of 1061 public elementary schools	20.5%	272	50.0	57.1	50.0	55.6	56.3	42.9	35.7	77.8	78.6	35.7	$8,622	$105	$8,516
Great Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	129 N 28th St E	Superior	54880	Douglas County	Superior School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 395-8500	348	22	16.0	13.8%	281 (80.7%)	2 (0.6%)	17 (4.9%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	40 (11.5%)	61.9	430^th of 1044 public elementary schools	58.8%		69	338^th of 1061 public elementary schools	68.1%	92	68.4	66.0	60.3		63.2	57.5	37.9		68.1	48.9	$11,604	$646	$10,958
Bryant Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1423 Central Ave	Superior	54880	Douglas County	Superior School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 394-8785	283	18	15.8	11.3%	241 (85.2%)	6 (2.1%)	14 (4.9%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.7%)	67.8	350^th of 1044 public elementary schools	66.5%		60.8	473^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	55.4%	123	63.0	59.5	67.4		52.2	59.5	60.5		70.3	67.6	$13,664	$1,092	$12,572
Northern Lights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 N 28th St	Superior	54880	Douglas County	Superior School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 395-6066	453	34	13.3	15.2%	356 (78.6%)	15 (3.3%)	14 (3.1%)	8 (1.8%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.6%)	46.6	636^th of 1044 public elementary schools	39.1%		27.8	829^th of 1061 public elementary schools	21.9%	193	67.5	44.4	54.8		70.1	25.4	50.0		39.7	36.5	$14,551	$1,120	$13,431
Cooper Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1807 Missouri Ave	Superior	54880	Douglas County	Superior School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 394-8790	363	27	13.5	11.6%	263 (72.5%)	13 (3.6%)	22 (6.1%)	3 (0.8%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (14.6%)	62	429^th of 1044 public elementary schools	58.9%		53	592^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	44.2%	163	71.4	59.7	55.3		57.1	61.4	36.2		64.9	61.4	$13,197	$648	$12,549

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwestern Elementary

What district is Northwestern Elementary in?

Maple School District

What is the racial makeup of Northwestern Elementary?

Students at Northwestern Elementary are 92% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Is Northwestern Elementary a good school?

Northwestern Elementary ranks 388^th of 1044 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Northwestern Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northwestern Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwestern Middle
High : Northwestern High

How many students attend Northwestern Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 515 students attended Northwestern Elementary.

Rate Northwestern Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin Elementary School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Poplar, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Northwestern Elementary!

Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025

2023–24 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 6, 2025

2023–24 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 8, 2024

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.