East High

East High is a large public high school serving 893 students in grades 9–12 on Wausau's north side, part of the Wausau School District. It currently ranks 265th of 533 Wisconsin high schools — 50th percentile, 3 stars — placing it squarely in the middle of the state. That snapshot hides a notable arc: East reached 4 stars and the 70th percentile in 2021–22, slid for three straight years to the 40th percentile in 2024–25, and has now begun climbing back. The comparison pool itself expanded this year (431 to 533 schools), so the percentile gain partly reflects a broader field rather than a dramatic score jump.

The school's defining story is a paradox. East graduates 96.8% of its students with a 0.4% dropout rate — both above district and state averages, and consistent for four straight years. Yet 26.0% of students are chronically absent, roughly one in four and 10.8 points above the district. Nearby West High (15.2%), Mosinee High (12.4%), and D C Everest High (16.6%) all keep absenteeism far lower — although West High graduates only 86.7%, nearly 10 points below East. East also carries the heaviest poverty load in its comparison group (43.78% economically disadvantaged) and spends $17,522 per pupil, about 16% more than West High.

Academically, East is a school of two halves. English Language Arts (52.25% proficient) beats both district and state, and math clears the state, while science (39.89%) and social studies (40.10%) sit below both — social studies by about 8 points. The clearest improvement lever is equity: low-income students have ranked near the 26th percentile for three consecutive years, with multi-racial and Hispanic students also in the bottom quartile, even as special education students made a dramatic jump to the 61st percentile. Attendance and those subgroup gaps are the most direct path back to 4 stars.