Summary:
ZIP code 54501 contains six public schools — four elementary, one middle, and one high school — serving 2,238 students across two districts: the Rhinelander School District (five schools, 2,127 students, ranked 292 of 432, 2 stars) and the Three Lakes School District (one school, ranked 58 of 432, 4 stars). Note that Sugar Camp Elementary has a Rhinelander ZIP code but belongs to Three Lakes.
Sugar Camp Elementary is the clear standout: 81st percentile and 4 stars, with 7 of 10 reported tests above state, the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (22.52%), low chronic absenteeism (6.4%), and the highest per-pupil spending in the ZIP ($24,755). Rhinelander High is the strongest Rhinelander school — 60th percentile, 3 stars, improving each year, with a 96.4% graduation rate and 0.2% dropout rate, though chronic absenteeism is 19.6%, above district and state. Pelican Elementary is the most improved Rhinelander elementary (44th percentile) and was above state in all four 4th grade subjects. Central Elementary (31st percentile), James Williams Middle (33rd), and Crescent Elementary (27th, 1 star) lag behind.
Two patterns stand out for families. First, 5th grade is a weak spot in every elementary school — all four scored below state in both 5th grade ELA and math — while 4th grade is a relative strength at Sugar Camp, Pelican, and Central. Second, low absenteeism does not guarantee high achievement: Crescent has the ZIP's lowest chronic absenteeism (5.7%) but the lowest rank and no tests above state. Social studies is a bright spot at several schools, while math tends to trail ELA in Rhinelander schools. Small cohorts at Sugar Camp mean year-to-year scores can swing widely, so single-year results should be read with caution.
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