Summary
Wayne Bartels Middle is a 6–8 school in Portage, Wisconsin, a midsize city, with 422 students, part of the Portage Community School District. For 2025–2026, it ranks 382nd of 643 Wisconsin middle schools—41st percentile with 2 stars—almost matching the district’s 44th percentile. That places it near the bottom of its nearby peer group: Lodi Middle (82nd percentile/4 stars), Poynette Middle (77th/4 stars), Pardeeville Middle (79th/4 stars), Wisconsin Dells Middle School (62nd/3 stars), and Jack Young Middle (40th/2 stars). Dropout is low at 0.3%, versus 0.5% district and 1.1% state, though nearby peers mostly report 0.0%.
Achievement is uneven. Eighth grade is the relative bright spot: 8th grade math is 55.08% versus the state’s 53.67%, while 8th grade ELA and social studies are essentially at state averages. The weaker areas are 6th grade ELA (40.77% vs. 54.95%), 7th grade ELA (47.11% vs. 55.33%), 7th grade math (51.24% vs. 55.67%), and 8th grade science (46.61% vs. 51.86%). Year over year, some grades improved, but 7th grade ELA, 7th grade math, and 8th grade science declined. Compared with nearby schools, Wayne Bartels Middle is generally below Lodi Middle, Poynette Middle, Pardeeville Middle, and Wisconsin Dells Middle School in most tested areas, and more comparable to Jack Young Middle.
Chronic absenteeism is the clearest concern. At 25.4%, Wayne Bartels Middle has the highest rate among nearby middle schools—Lodi Middle (3.7%), Pardeeville Middle (10.0%), Poynette Middle (13.3%), Wisconsin Dells Middle School (15.3%), and Jack Young Middle (19.1%)—and above the Portage Community School District (20.4%) and state (17.3%). It has risen from 15.7% in 2021–2022. Resources are not the obvious explanation: the school spends $15,813 per student with a 13.3 student-teacher ratio, while Pardeeville Middle spends $12,649 with a 17.2 ratio yet ranks higher. Student-group results vary: special education students dropped to the 28th percentile/1 star, low-income students rose to the 42nd percentile/2 stars, female students were 36th percentile, and male students 46th percentile. For parents, the main takeaways are stable middle-of-the-pack performance, weaker early-grade literacy and science, and attendance as a top priority.
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