Summary:
ZIP code 54421 in Colby, Wisconsin, is home to a single elementary school — Colby Elementary — which serves grades K–5 with 354 students as part of the Colby School District and sits at 202 W Dolf St in this small central Wisconsin community.
Because it is the only elementary school in the ZIP code, there is no local school-to-school comparison to make; the meaningful benchmark is how it compares with its district and with Wisconsin overall. Its clearest strength is attendance: in 2024–2025 the chronic absenteeism rate was just 4.8%, compared with 8.9% for the district and 17.3% statewide — less than one-third of the state rate. Academic results are the main concern. Across all eight reported Forward Exam subjects and grades, Colby Elementary scored below the state average in both 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, with an average gap of roughly 15 percentage points. The school has ranked in the bottom quartile of Wisconsin elementary schools for three years (21st percentile, 1 star), while the district overall ranks 413 of 432, at the 4th percentile.
Some grade-level results come closer than others. Third grade math was only 2.37 points below the state in 2025–2026, and third grade ELA improved from 39.34% to 47.62% proficient, narrowing its gap from -12.80 to -4.46. Fourth grade is the weakest area: in 2025–2026 ELA was 24.64 points below state, science 21.15 points below, math 19.02 points below, and social studies 16.28 points below. Fourth grade math did improve the most, rising from 24.14% to 33.85%. Per-student spending was $16,199 with a student-teacher ratio of 11.9, so the low proficiency does not appear to stem from unusually limited resources. Parents should weigh the excellent attendance against the consistent academic gaps.
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