Summary
River Cities High is a small public high school in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, serving grades 9–12 with 77 students as part of the Wisconsin Rapids School District. It ranks 488th of 533 Wisconsin high schools in 2025–2026 — the 8th percentile, with 0 stars — while the district ranks 316th of 432 statewide. Rankings from the mid-2000s were also in the bottom 10%, so this is a long-standing pattern rather than a one-year dip.
Academic proficiency is the school's steepest challenge. On the 2025–2026 10th-grade ACT, proficiency was 14.29% in English language arts, 14.29% in math, and 9.52% in science, compared with district rates of 31.46%, 36.45%, and 39.25%. Nearby comprehensive high schools post much higher results: John Edwards High, about 5 miles away, reports 43.75% ELA, 43.75% math, and 37.5% science, while Nekoosa High reports 49.18%, 29.51%, and 41.67%. Tri-County High, where 56.67% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reports 42.86%, 22.86%, and 40%. River Cities High has the lowest ELA and science proficiency among nearby comprehensive high schools and is tied for the lowest in math.
Engagement measures are weak but improving. Graduation rose to 91.2% in 2024–2025; dropout fell to 6.1%, more than five times the district and state rate, and chronic absenteeism dropped from 48.4% to 36.8%, roughly double the district and state. One bright spot: the special education subgroup ranks 94th of 333 statewide — the 72nd percentile, with 4 stars — the only subgroup above the state median. With 71.43% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, $14,844 in per-student spending, and a 16.2 student-teacher ratio, the school serves a high-need population. Because enrollment is only 77 students, year-to-year percentages can shift noticeably.
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