Summary:
ZIP code 54859 covers Minong, Wisconsin, and contains three listed schools — Northwood High/Middle (grades 6–12, 140 students), Northwood Elementary (grades PK–5, 133 students), and NorthStar Community Charter School (grades PK–8, 20 students). All three sit at the same Highway 53 address and belong to the Northwood School District, a small rural district ranked 403 out of 432 in Wisconsin — the 7th percentile — with 0 stars.
The three schools differ most on non-academic measures. NorthStar is by far the smallest and posts the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (25%) versus Northwood Elementary (54.89%) and Northwood High/Middle (48.57%), the lowest per-student spending ($15,961 vs. $17,024 and $17,689), and 0.0% chronic absenteeism compared with 12.2% at the elementary, 13.0% at the high/middle school, 11.9% districtwide, and 17.3% statewide. Student-teacher ratios are similar across all three, at about 10:1 or lower, with Northwood Elementary lowest at 9.6. Northwood High/Middle reports a 90.0% graduation rate, just under the state's 92.0%, and a 0.0% dropout rate, better than the state's 1.1%. NorthStar has no test-score records in this data, so its academics cannot be compared.
Academically, mathematics is the clearest weakness. In 2025–26, Northwood High/Middle math proficiency ranged from 13.33% to 25% across grades 6–8 against state averages near 53.6%–55.7%, and ACT Mathematics was 28.57% versus 42.93% statewide. Northwood Elementary's math ranged from 0% to 30.43%, with 4th grade ELA and math both at 0%. Social Studies is the bright spot: Northwood Elementary's 4th grade hit 71.43% in 2025–26, above the state's 65.51%. Because class sizes are small, individual percentages can swing widely and should be read with caution.
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