Best High Schools in Zip Code 53946

ZIP code 53946 has one high school, Markesan High, serving grades 9–12 in the Markesan School District in Markesan, Wisconsin. It enrolls 244 students, and because it is the only high school in the ZIP, comparisons are mainly to the district and Wisconsin state averages. The school ranks 218th of 533 Wisconsin high schools in 2025–26, placing it in the 59th percentile with 3 stars, after improving from 2 stars and the 30th percentile in 2023–24. Its district ranks 204th of 432, in the 53rd percentile with 3 stars.

For 2024–25, the graduation rate was 84.4%, below the state’s 92.0% but equal to the district. The dropout rate was 0.8%, better than both the district and state at 1.1%. Chronic absenteeism was 13.4%, better than the state’s 17.3% but higher than the district’s 9.3%. Proficiency results show mixed performance: in 2025–26, Social Studies was 56.9% proficient, 8.65 points above the state, and Mathematics was 48.28%, 5.35 points above the state. English Language Arts was 43.1%, 5.37 points below the state, while Science was 43.1%, essentially at the state average. From 2024–25 to 2025–26, Math rose 3.28 points, Science rose 1.43 points, Social Studies fell 3.44 points, and ELA fell 11.90 points.

Overall, the school’s strengths are Social Studies and Mathematics proficiency, plus dropout and chronic absenteeism rates that are better than state averages. The main concerns are a graduation rate below the state and a sharp ELA decline, with ELA moving from above the state in 2024–25 to below it in 2025–26. Context metrics show 34.43% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, per-student spending is $16,595, and the student-teacher ratio is 13.8. For families considering this area, the school has held a 3-star, 59th-percentile position for two years, with clear academic strengths in some subjects and room to improve in graduation and ELA.