Darlington Elementary/middle, Darlington WI

Original Research by School Decision on Darlington Elementary/middle

Darlington Elementary/Middle School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the Darlington Community School District, a regular public school in the small rural county seat of Darlington, Wisconsin. The school is the only elementary and middle school in the district, drawing from the town and surrounding area. Darlington itself is a compact, slow-growing community anchored by the Lafayette County Courthouse, local shops along a historic Main Street, and dairy-related employers such as a cheese and cream plant and a whey protein facility. The Pecatonica River runs through town, and there are several parks, a paved riverside trail, and seasonal festivals. Housing in the area is notably more affordable than the state average, which may matter to families weighing a move.

The school enrolls a population that is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic or Latino share, reflecting immigration tied to the dairy industry. A significant portion of students come from low-income households. No data was available on the share of students with disabilities or those classified as English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports those groups.

Academically, Darlington Elementary/Middle received a National Blue Ribbon School designation in 2023, one of only eight schools in Wisconsin that year. That recognition, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, signals sustained strong overall performance and is a clear strength. State test results from the most recent year show a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates varied by grade, with some grades reaching above the two-thirds mark and others falling below half of students meeting the bar. In English language arts, a similar spread appeared: some grades posted solid results, while others had roughly two in five students proficient. Science and social studies results showed a range as well, with eighth graders performing relatively well in both subjects.

When placed alongside other districts in Lafayette County, the school’s overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint of the seven districts in the county. That means there are districts in the county with higher average test scores, but also some with lower ones. The Blue Ribbon designation and the grade-level data suggest that performance is not uniform across all grades and subjects, and a family may want to look closely at how the school’s results align with their own child’s grade and needs.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate or data on postsecondary readiness here. Students move on to Darlington High School for ninth grade. The school environment and course access data were not available in the provided records, so details on class sizes, enrichment programs, or extracurriculars would come from the school directly.

The community is growing very slowly, with no major new housing developments identified in public sources. That stability may appeal to families seeking a small-town setting where the school is a central, recognized institution. The 2023 Blue Ribbon award gives the school a notable marker of quality that families often weigh when looking at rural schools.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 16 pts above state median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 10 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 52%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 15 pts above state median

Science

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 64%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 6 pts above state median

This schoolDarlington Community 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-income32%Higher-income71%39 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income58%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income61%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income65%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income54%Higher-income77%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income77%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income50%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income47%Higher-income68%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income55%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income74%30 pp gap