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South Mountain Elementary

Public Grades K-5

87^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,044 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

South Mountain Elementary is a public elementary school in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving 223 students in grades K-5 and part of the Wausau School District.

South Mountain Elementary consistently outperforms the Wausau School District and the state of Wisconsin in academic proficiency, with 78.13% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 51.3% for the district and 52.14% for the state. The school has maintained a high statewide ranking, placing in the top 15% of Wisconsin elementary schools and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. South Mountain Elementary also demonstrates strong performance across different student subgroups, ranking 85 out of 1,001 Wisconsin elementary schools for female students and 60 out of 870 for low socioeconomic status students, both earning 5-star ratings.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Wausau School District and the nearby D.C. Everest Area School District, South Mountain Elementary stands out as a high-performing school, with significantly higher 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rates than the district and regional averages. The school's consistent high performance and ability to support the academic success of low-income students make it a model for other schools to emulate.

235

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,679

Per pupil spending ?

20.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

224700 Bittersweet Rd
Wausau, WI 54401

(715) 261-0235

District: Wausau School District

Students who attend South Mountain Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	John Muir Middle
High:	West High

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.4%

Asian:

13.2%

Two or more races:

5.1%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2015 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (76% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Wisconsin elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Wausau School District

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school76%

District avg53%

Wisconsin avg54%

87^th of 1,044

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 14Elementary Schools in the Wausau School District

272^nd of 426Wausau 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	85.5	87 of 1044	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	83.9	106 of 1061	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	87.5	71 of 1067	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	81.2	149 of 1067	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	79.7	156 of 1050	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	160 of 1037	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	182 of 1025	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	73.8	241 of 1071	77.5%	★★★★☆
2016	77.2	190 of 1075	82.3%	★★★★☆
2015	81.5	107 of 1076	90.1%	★★★★★
2014	83.0	91 of 1061	91.4%	★★★★★
2013	64.4	353 of 1053	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	79.9	76 of 1045	92.7%	★★★★★
2011	77.5	135 of 1046	87.1%	★★★★☆
2010	73.5	210 of 1045	79.9%	★★★★☆
2009	76.7	154 of 1030	85.0%	★★★★☆
2008	76.3	157 of 1021	84.6%	★★★★☆
2005	81.7	61 of 632	90.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	84.3	85 of 1001	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	85.5	69 of 1011	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	85.9	75 of 1010	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	82.6	111 of 1017	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	187 of 1004	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	85.8	62 of 1002	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	77.9	163 of 997	83.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	83.4	60 of 870	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	87.8	35 of 866	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	79.4	78 of 871	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	69.3	174 of 859	79.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	82.9	109 of 1000	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	176 of 1012	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	83.8	101 of 1011	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	76.5	188 of 1017	81.5%	★★★★☆
2021	80.1	129 of 1003	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.6	276 of 1002	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	74.7	189 of 997	81.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	76.8	132 of 718	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	79.6	103 of 727	85.8%	★★★★☆
2023	86.6	45 of 715	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	66.7	202 of 704	71.3%	★★★★☆
2021	85.5	53 of 699	92.4%	★★★★★
2019	70.6	168 of 718	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	82.8	73 of 686	89.4%	★★★★☆

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)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)89th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)82nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies97%+34 vs state

Science77%+26 vs state

English Language Arts75%+23 vs state

Mathematics69%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Mountain Elementary

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th 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
South Mountain Elementary	Public	K-5	224700 Bittersweet Rd	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0235	235	20	11.5	20.9%	189 (80.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	31 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	85.5	87^th of 1044 public elementary schools	91.7%		83.9	106^th of 1061 public elementary schools	90.0%	19	78.1	74.4	73.2	71.9	66.7	68.3	97.4	76.9	$14,679	$723	$13,956
Rib Mountain Elementary	Public	K-5	150801 Robin Lane	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0220	194	16	12.3	25.8%	142 (73.2%)	2 (1.0%)	8 (4.1%)	34 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	71.2	295^th of 1044 public elementary schools	71.7%		81.1	148^th of 1061 public elementary schools	86.1%	147	60.0	64.0	63.9	61.1	68.0	70.3	72.0	56.0	$14,259	$311	$13,949
Rothschild Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	810 1st St	Rothschild	54474	Marathon County	D C Everest Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 359-3186	408	30	13.8	40.9%	276 (67.6%)	9 (2.2%)	20 (4.9%)	74 (18.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.6%)	58.2	486^th of 1044 public elementary schools	53.4%		50.6	623^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	41.3%	137	55.7	42.0	49.2	75.4	65.2	52.5	66.7	52.2	$13,225	$952	$12,273
G D Jones Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1018 S 12th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0950	492	36	13.5	52.6%	250 (50.8%)	6 (1.2%)	28 (5.7%)	153 (31.1%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (10.0%)	24.1	845^th of 1044 public elementary schools	19.1%		22.8	865^th of 1061 public elementary schools	18.5%	20	50.0	26.0	29.2	45.0	30.0	22.9	52.0	36.0	$11,890	$742	$11,148
John Marshall Elementary	Public	K-5	1918 Lamont St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0060	231	19	11.9	58.9%	129 (55.8%)	14 (6.1%)	24 (10.4%)	42 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.5%)	29.9	811^th of 1044 public elementary schools	22.3%		41.7	712^th of 1061 public elementary schools	32.9%	99	35.0	18.2	47.5	37.5	36.4	52.5	51.5	33.3	$15,288	$905	$14,383
Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-5	720 S 6th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0965	204	22	9.1	75.0%	70 (34.3%)	12 (5.9%)	35 (17.2%)	64 (31.4%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.8%)	21.3	867^th of 1044 public elementary schools	17.0%		28.4	823^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	22.4%	44	36.6	32.1	25.7	22.0	46.4	34.3	50.0	28.6	$20,631	$1,574	$19,056
Stettin Elementary	Public	K-5	109 N 56th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0205	327	17	18.8	37.9%	224 (68.5%)	7 (2.1%)	28 (8.6%)	44 (13.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.7%)	80.6	151^st of 1044 public elementary schools	85.5%		83	117^th of 1061 public elementary schools	89.0%	34	58.8	73.9	64.3	62.8	83.3	64.3	83.3	78.8	$10,981	$286	$10,695
Evergreen Elementary	Public	K-5	1610 Pine Rd	Rothschild	54474	Marathon County	D C Everest Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 359-6591	450	32	14.2	28.7%	333 (74.0%)	4 (0.9%)	20 (4.4%)	69 (15.3%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (4.2%)	60.4	453^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	56.6%		60.6	480^th of 1061 public elementary schools	54.8%	27	59.5	52.2	34.1	66.2	68.7	62.6	62.7	65.7	$12,367	$554	$11,813
Grant Elementary	Public	K-5	500 N 4th Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0190	189	19	10.1	58.7%	67 (35.4%)	3 (1.6%)	25 (13.2%)	77 (40.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.5%)	59.4	472^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	54.8%		38.3	747^th of 1061 public elementary schools	29.6%	275	57.6	65.5	48.5	64.7	58.1	39.4	71.0	54.8	$16,556	$1,394	$15,162
Hawthorn Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Kickbusch St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-0045	227	18	12.5	70.9%	105 (46.3%)	18 (7.9%)	27 (11.9%)	41 (18.1%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (13.7%)	40.7	718^th of 1044 public elementary schools	31.2%		42.9	698^th of 1061 public elementary schools	34.2%	20	38.2	60.0	21.4	58.8	52.0	17.9	68.0	48.0	$17,049	$1,559	$15,491

Frequently Asked Questions about South Mountain Elementary

What is the racial makeup of South Mountain Elementary?

Students at South Mountain Elementary are 80% White, 13% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend South Mountain Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended South Mountain Elementary.

What schools do graduates of South Mountain Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Mountain Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : John Muir Middle
High : West High

Is South Mountain Elementary a good school?

Yes. South Mountain Elementary ranks in the top 8.3% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

What district is South Mountain Elementary in?

Wausau School District

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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.