The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Social studies. The lowest is 43% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Arcadia Middle
Arcadia Middle is a regular public school serving grades five through eight in the small city of Arcadia, Wisconsin, part of the Arcadia School District. The school sits in a community that is shaped by major employers like Ashley Furniture Industries and Pilgrim’s Pride, with a growing Latino-majority population and a mix of industrial and residential character. The district also includes an elementary school and a high school, and the middle school itself reflects the broader community’s demographic profile.
The student body is just under three hundred and fifty students in the tested grades, with a large share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Hispanic students make up a substantial majority, with white students comprising about one-fifth of enrollment, and a small number of students identifying with two or more races. The school serves a population that has transformed over the past two decades through Hispanic and Latino immigration, and the district’s student composition mirrors that change.
Academically, the school’s performance on Wisconsin’s Forward assessment varies widely by grade and subject. Seventh grade stands out as a strong year across the board: in math, a clear majority of students scored proficient or above, and in English language arts, the rate was even higher, reaching what is considered a strong level of achievement. Sixth graders showed more mixed results, with a solid share meeting proficiency in ELA but a smaller share in math. Fifth grade results in math were comparable to sixth, but fifth grade ELA was a notably weaker area, with less than one-fifth of students reaching proficiency. Eighth grade results were more moderate, with about two-fifths proficient in math and science, and a slightly higher share in ELA and social studies. These patterns suggest that the school may have pockets of strength, particularly in the middle grades, alongside areas where many students are not yet meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks. Parents may want to discuss with the school how academic support is targeted across different grade levels.
When compared with the other six districts in Trempealeau County, Arcadia Middle’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the cohort. The comparison set includes a range from lower to higher performing districts, and this school falls in the bottom half of that range. This is not a judgment of quality but a piece of context for families who are weighing how this school’s outcomes relate to its immediate neighbors.
Housing in the Arcadia area is moderately priced relative to the state and nation. Home values have risen in the past year, which is in line with many small cities in Wisconsin. The community’s economic base is anchored by manufacturing and agriculture-related processing industries, and the city provides its own utilities and maintains a network of parks and a memorial park with an amphitheater for community events. No major new housing developments or district-level changes were identified in available public records, suggesting a relatively stable period.
Because the school only serves grades five through eight, there is no graduation rate to report. Civil rights data on discipline, chronic absenteeism, or special education classifications were not available in the provided materials, so those dimensions cannot be assessed here. Families may want to seek that information directly from the school or district if it matters to their decision.
Overall, Arcadia Middle offers a standard middle-school experience in a small industrial city that has seen substantial demographic change. Its academic results are uneven, with a standout year in grade seven and more challenging outcomes in earlier and later grades. For families whose priority is a school with a strong peer environment in a specific grade band, the variability may be worth exploring further with the school’s leadership. The community itself provides a stable, car-dependent setting with local employment and modest housing costs.
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