Summary:
ZIP code 54457 in Nekoosa, Wisconsin is home to two middle schools — Alexander Middle (grades 4–8, 326 students) and Central Wisconsin STEM Academy (grades 6–8, 32 students) — both part of the Nekoosa School District and both located at the same address, 540 Birch St, which suggests the smaller school operates as a program housed inside the larger one. Together they enroll 358 students in this small central Wisconsin community.
The two schools sit at opposite ends of the state. Central Wisconsin STEM Academy ranked in the 69th percentile statewide in 2025‑2026 (3 stars), its best result in three years, and scored above the state average in 5 of 8 tested grade-subject combinations — including 90% proficient in 6th grade math and 80% in 6th grade ELA. Alexander Middle, meanwhile, ranked in the 24th percentile (1 star) and fell below the state average in all 14 of its tested combinations, with its weakest results in 5th grade ELA, 8th grade ELA, and 4th grade math and science.
Notably, the usual explanations don't account for the gap. Both schools serve nearly identical low-income populations (61.35% vs. 62.5% free/reduced lunch) and have similar chronic absenteeism (17.5% vs. 16.1%, near the state's 17.3%). The STEM Academy achieves its results at $9,692 per student versus $17,002 at Alexander, and with a 24.6:1 student-teacher ratio versus 11.3:1. One caveat for parents: with only 32 students, the Academy's grade-level percentages are high-variance — one student can shift a result by about 9–10 points. Its cohort scores have also been very stable year to year, suggesting a strong incoming class as much as instructional change.
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