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Wayne Bartels Middle

Q: Is Wayne Bartels Middle a good school?

Wayne Bartels Middle ranks 370 th of 628 Wisconsin middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

370^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 628 Wisconsin Middle Schools

Better than 41% of Wisconsin middle schools

Summary

Wayne Bartels Middle is a public middle school in Portage, Wisconsin, serving 409 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Portage Community School District, which is ranked 243 out of 426 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wayne Bartels Middle consistently underperforms the state average in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were significantly lower than the state averages. The school's performance is also below the Portage Community School District averages, indicating it is one of the lower-performing schools within the district. Additionally, Wayne Bartels Middle struggles to support certain student subgroups, with rankings for female, male, and white students in the bottom half of Wisconsin middle schools, and even lower rankings for Hispanic and low socioeconomic status students.

Compared to nearby schools, Lodi Middle consistently outperforms Wayne Bartels Middle in academic proficiency, ranking in the top 100-150 middle schools in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Dells Middle School and Jack Young Middle also outperform Wayne Bartels Middle, though their overall rankings are still in the middle to lower range of Wisconsin middle schools. The school's high chronic absenteeism and dropout rates are also concerning and indicate the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student engagement and success.

422

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,671

Per pupil spending ?

40%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2505 New Pinery Rd
Portage, WI 53901-1108

(608) 742-2165

District: Portage Community School District

Students who attend Wayne Bartels Middle usually attend:

High:

Portage High

Feeder schools for Wayne Bartels Middle:

Elementary:	Endeavor Elementary
	Lewiston Elementary
	Muir Elementary
	Woodridge Elementary
Prekindergarten:	Portage Partnering Preschool

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.0%

Hispanic:

12.8%

Two or more races:

6.4%

See top rated Wisconsin middle schools

Compare Wayne Bartels Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 41st percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2025

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (25% vs 17% Wisconsin)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg50%

Wisconsin avg54%

370^th of 628

Wisconsin public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

243^rd of 426Portage Community 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	47.1	370 of 628	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.1	410 of 641	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.7	389 of 640	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.8	323 of 617	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	367 of 613	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.2	394 of 594	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.0	336 of 579	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.3	344 of 612	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.2	342 of 609	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.7	362 of 612	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.4	334 of 585	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.3	236 of 569	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.0	349 of 559	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	50.6	367 of 549	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.1	232 of 539	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.8	312 of 521	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.5	372 of 519	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	55.6	231 of 366	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.5	226 of 382	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.3	257 of 332	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	66.4	112 of 324	65.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2018	39.5	69 of 123	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	54.1	293 of 573	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	350 of 580	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	307 of 579	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	277 of 576	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.7	328 of 574	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.5	398 of 557	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.3	336 of 551	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	38.5	147 of 237	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	134 of 239	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.5	167 of 229	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	201 of 221	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	202 of 225	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	150 of 209	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.8	120 of 204	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	383 of 509	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.4	326 of 520	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.3	270 of 525	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.6	300 of 522	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	345 of 499	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	389 of 487	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.2	370 of 489	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	396 of 577	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	380 of 585	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	380 of 591	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	292 of 577	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.2	340 of 572	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.3	341 of 557	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.6	304 of 551	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	88.1	7 of 126	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	33.0	103 of 131	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	143 of 414	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.2	188 of 425	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.2	194 of 439	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.5	273 of 421	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.4	328 of 437	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.1	259 of 414	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	250 of 417	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	299 of 399	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.8	325 of 407	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	320 of 412	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.6	243 of 397	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.7	274 of 393	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.9	306 of 382	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.0	248 of 375	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2025)94th percentile+53 vs school

Special Education (2025)65th percentile+24 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2018)44th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)38th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)25th percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies60%-3 vs state

Science55%+5 vs state

Mathematics50%-4 vs state

English Language Arts46%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wayne Bartels Middle

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 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wayne Bartels Middle	Public	6-8	2505 New Pinery Rd	Portage	53901	Columbia County	Portage Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 742-2165	422	32	13.3	40.0%	329 (78.0%)	6 (1.4%)	54 (12.8%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	47.1	370^th of 628 public middle schools	41.1%		43.1	410^th of 641 public middle schools	36.0%	40		38.3	51.7	47.6		41.4	55.2	53.1	60.0	55.2	$12,671	$379	$12,291
Pardeeville Middle	Public	5-8	120 Oak St	Pardeeville	53954	Columbia County	Pardeeville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 429-2153	248	14	17.2	35.5%	235 (94.8%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	58.4	275^th of 628 public middle schools	56.2%		52.5	338^th of 641 public middle schools	47.3%	63	41.7	58.0	42.9	55.7	47.9	49.4	36.7	65.6	78.7	63.9	$10,816	$715	$10,102
Poynette Middle	Public	5-8	108 N Cleveland St	Poynette	53955	Columbia County	Poynette School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 635-4347	271	26	10.3	21.4%	245 (90.4%)	3 (1.1%)	12 (4.4%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	76.6	115^th of 628 public middle schools	81.7%		74.8	131^st of 641 public middle schools	79.6%	16	64.2	64.5	66.7	68.8	92.5	66.1	68.1	70.3	78.1	59.4	$11,279	$90	$11,189
Wisconsin Dells Middle School	Public	6-8	520 Race St	Wisconsin Dells	53965	Columbia County	Wisconsin Dells School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 253-2467	374	25	14.7	58.3%	250 (66.8%)	15 (4.0%)	82 (21.9%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	61.1	252^nd of 628 public middle schools	59.9%		55.1	303^rd of 641 public middle schools	52.7%	51		58.5	60.9	57.3		50.8	67.2	60.9	65.5	46.4	$12,470	$543	$11,927
Jack Young Middle	Public	6-8	1531 Draper St	Baraboo	53913	Sauk County	Baraboo School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 355-3930	548	50	11.0		408 (74.5%)	10 (1.8%)	60 (10.9%)	10 (1.8%)	17 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.7%)	43	411^th of 628 public middle schools	34.6%		52.6	337^th of 641 public middle schools	47.4%	74		40.1	46.8	44.7		45.8	47.4	52.0	63.7	45.3	$12,293	$1,043	$11,250
Lodi Middle	Public	6-8	900 Sauk St	Lodi	53555	Columbia County	Lodi School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 592-3854	324	28	11.6	17.9%	288 (88.9%)	4 (1.2%)	11 (3.4%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	78.4	100^th of 628 public middle schools	84.1%		74.5	134^th of 641 public middle schools	79.1%	34		68.3	59.6	69.7		68.9	78.6	72.5	75.2	63.3	$12,846	$154	$12,691

Frequently Asked Questions about Wayne Bartels Middle

Is Wayne Bartels Middle a good school?

Wayne Bartels Middle ranks 370^th of 628 Wisconsin middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Wayne Bartels Middle?

Students at Wayne Bartels Middle are 78% White, 13% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Wayne Bartels Middle in?

Portage Community School District

How many students attend Wayne Bartels Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 422 students attended Wayne Bartels Middle.

What high school do graduates of Wayne Bartels Middle attend?

Students who attend Wayne Bartels Middle usually go on to attend Portage High

Rate Wayne Bartels Middle!

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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.