Summary:
ZIP code 54810 (Balsam Lake, WI) is home to three public schools — Unity Elementary (PK–4, 385 students), Unity Middle (5–8, 238 students), and Unity High (9–12, 292 students) — all part of Unity School District, serving 915 students total from a single campus. The district as a whole is rated 331st of 432 Wisconsin districts (23rd percentile, 1 star), but the three schools look quite different from one another.
Unity Elementary has the best attendance in the ZIP, with chronic absenteeism of 9.9% — well below the district's 18.6% and the state's 17.3%. Its standout result is 3rd-grade English Language Arts at 74.55%, against 52.08% statewide, though 4th-grade ELA (42.47% vs. 53.87% state) is below average. Unity Middle was the strongest school historically, earning 3 stars and 57th percentile in 2024–2025, but fell to 2 stars and 38th percentile in 2025–2026. Its 7th graders shine in math (66.13% vs. 55.67% state) and ELA (64.52% vs. 55.33%), while its 6th-grade ELA (28.30% vs. 54.95%) and 6th- and 8th-grade math (roughly 30% vs. about 54%) trail far behind.
Unity High presents the sharpest contrast. Its chronic absenteeism of 32.3% is nearly double the district and state rates, and its 2025–2026 test results fall below state in every subject, including 10th-grade math at 27.63% versus 42.93% statewide. On the positive side, it posts a 90.9% graduation rate and a 0.0% dropout rate, better than the state's 1.1%. Across all three schools, roughly half or more students qualify for free or reduced lunch (50.42%–54.11%), and per-student spending ranges from $12,867 at Elementary to $14,524 at High. For parents, the key takeaways are Elementary's strong attendance and 3rd-grade reading results, Middle's recent slide, and High's attendance challenges alongside solid graduation outcomes.
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