Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 53956

ZIP code 53956 covers Randolph, Wisconsin, and contains exactly one middle-level school: Randolph Middle School, a grades 6–8 school with 117 students at 110 Meadowood Dr. It is the only provider of middle grades in the Randolph School District, and its test-score figures are identical to the district's in every reported row. For 2025-26 the school ranks 381st of 643 Wisconsin middle schools (41st percentile, 2 stars), while the district ranks 185th of 432 (57th percentile, 3 stars), suggesting the middle grades are the softer spot in an otherwise stronger district.

The most important trend is a three-year slide in relative standing: from the 53rd percentile (3 stars) in 2023-24, to the 48th percentile in 2024-25, to the 41st percentile in 2025-26. On the Forward Exam, five of eight measures in 2025-26 fall below state and three are above, but two of those three leads are under a quarter point — essentially at state level. Eighth grade is the weak point: Math at 43.24% is 10.4 points below the state's 53.67%, and ELA at 45.95% is 8.4 points below. Eighth-grade Science (54.05% vs. 51.86%) and Social Studies (64.86% vs. 64.63%) beat the state for a second straight year, though by narrower margins. Performance also declines steadily from 6th through 8th grade in both ELA (50.00 → 48.65 → 45.95) and Math (53.85 → 48.65 → 43.24).

Two things temper the results. First, with about 37–40 students per grade, a single student is worth roughly 2.7 percentage points, so year-to-year swings can reflect ordinary cohort variation — the drop in 8th-grade math equals roughly four students. Second, tracked cohorts show the decline is concentrated in the oldest group: the Class of 2026 fell 5.4 points in ELA and 10.8 points in Math from 7th to 8th grade, while the younger cohort gained 5.4 points in ELA. Chronic absenteeism, at 17.7%, is above both the district (14.6%) and the state (17.3%), and is worth watching. Resources look adequate: $17,026 per pupil, a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio, and 32.48% free/reduced lunch. The three-year downward trend matters more than any single year.