Summary:
ZIP code 54451 in Medford, Wisconsin contains exactly one middle school — Medford Middle — which serves grades 5–8, enrolls 566 students, and belongs to the Medford Area Public School District. Because it is the only middle school in the area, this is a single-school profile rather than a comparison among local schools. The district ranks 171 of 432 districts statewide (60th percentile, 3 stars), while Medford Middle ranks 393 of 643 schools (39th percentile, 2 stars) in 2025–2026 — below the state median, though improved from 441 of 628 (30th percentile) in 2024–2025 and 421 of 641 (34th percentile) in 2023–2024.
Medford Middle's clearest strengths are in engagement and early math. Chronic absenteeism is 14.5%, better than the district's 14.7% and the state's 17.3%, and the dropout rate is 0.0% versus 1.0% in the district and 1.1% statewide. Fifth-grade math is a relative bright spot at 57.43% proficient, 2.99 points above the district and 5.62 points above the state, and sixth-grade math sits at 54.40%, slightly above the state. Eighth grade posted large year-over-year gains in ELA (+19.92 points), social studies (+20.00) and science (+10.89), though from low prior levels. Class sizes look relatively small at 11.2 students per teacher, with per-student spending of $12,808 and 41.34% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch.
Academically, the school trails in several areas. In 2025–2026, ELA is below both district and state in every tested grade, with the widest state gap in 5th grade at -13.09 points. Math proficiency drops from 57.43% in 5th grade to 42.42% in 8th grade — 11.25 points below the state — and 8th-grade social studies (59.85%) and science (49.24%) remain below district and state despite big gains. Parents should note the school ranks below its district overall, but attendance, dropout, and 5th- and 6th-grade math are genuine positives.
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