Appleton Bilingual School, Appleton WI

Original Research by School Decision on Appleton Bilingual School

Appleton Bilingual School is a charter elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade within the Appleton Area School District. As the name suggests, the school centers on a bilingual program, which shapes both the academic approach and the makeup of the student body. It is a regular public school operating under a charter, meaning it has some flexibility in its curriculum and operations while remaining part of the district.

The student body is small for an elementary school, with a mix of roughly two-thirds Hispanic students and a sizable white population, along with very small numbers of students who are Asian, Black, or of two or more races. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is typical for a school serving a lower-income population. The school draws from the surrounding neighborhood in central Appleton, an area of the city with a mix of older homes and apartments.

Academically, the school's state test results present an uneven picture. In third grade, a majority of students reached proficiency in both math and English language arts. By fourth grade, proficiency rates dropped in both subjects, with fewer than half of students scoring proficient in English and a narrow majority in math. Fifth grade showed a sharp decline in math, where roughly one in five students met the bar, while English held steady at a similar rate to fourth grade. Science and social studies are tested only in fourth grade; results there were mixed, with about half of students proficient in social studies and roughly a third in science. When compared across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index landed in the bottom quarter among districts in Outagamie County — a reminder that the bilingual program's benefits for language acquisition and cultural fluency may not yet translate into strong test scores across the board. A parent considering the school will want to ask the principal about how the bilingual curriculum is delivered and what supports are in place for students who are navigating literacy in two languages.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available, and neither was information on staffing or special education and English learner counts, though the latter two are especially relevant given the school's mission. A parent may want to ask the district for those figures directly.

Appleton itself is a mid-sized city with a well-diversified economy built on manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and education. The downtown area along College Avenue is walkable and serves as a regional cultural hub, with the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, museums, and the Mile of Music festival. Lawrence University sits just adjacent to downtown, contributing to the city's civic energy. Housing values in the area have risen in recent years, and rents have also climbed, though the area remains more affordable than the national average. The district did not have any recent major changes — such as referendums, boundary shifts, or curriculum overhauls — that surfaced in a public search, so the school's offerings are likely stable.

For families considering Appleton Bilingual School, the key decision is whether the bilingual program's purpose aligns with their goals. The academic results suggest room for growth, particularly in upper elementary math. The school's small size and charter status may mean a close-knit environment, but families should confirm how the program handles the transition to middle school and whether the district provides feeder school supports. The broader Appleton community offers a strong mix of amenities and economic stability, and the school sits within a district that serves the whole city.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 54% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 53% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 54% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 50% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 50% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 53% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Science

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 49% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 60% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolAppleton Area School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income59%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income67%47 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income38%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income77%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income78%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income31%31 pp gap