The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Social studies. The lowest is 49% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dodgeville Middle
Dodgeville Middle is a regular public school serving grades five through eight in the city of Dodgeville, the county seat of Iowa County. It is part of the Dodgeville School District, which also includes Dodgeville Elementary and Dodgeville High School. The school functions as a standalone middle school for the district’s upper elementary and early secondary years.
On Wisconsin’s Forward state assessments, proficiency rates vary across subjects and grade levels. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranges from just above two-fifths in seventh grade to just above half in fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency runs from roughly two-fifths in seventh grade to close to three-fifths in eighth grade. Eighth graders also take science and social studies assessments; about half reach proficiency in science, and about three-fifths do so in social studies. When all tested grades and subjects are averaged together, the school’s overall proficiency places it in the bottom quartile among the five districts in Iowa County. The comparison is narrow—only five districts—so the spread is small, but the school sits on the lower end of that spread. A parent may want to ask the school how it works with students who are not yet proficient and what supports are available by grade.
Enrollment totals roughly three hundred students, with larger classes in fifth, sixth, and eighth grades and a smaller seventh-grade cohort. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, Black, and American Indian students. About three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate share that reflects the economic mix of the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is not reported in the available records, so those populations and the school’s related services are not described here.
Dodgeville itself is a small city and the seat of Iowa County government. It has a historic downtown along Iowa Street and is home to the corporate headquarters of Lands’ End, which is the dominant employer. The city grew modestly between the 2010 and 2020 censuses and is part of the Madison metropolitan area, bringing some suburban influence while retaining a small-town feel. Housing values in the area sit near the state median and remain below the national figure, making the community relatively affordable for the region. The city offers several parks, a pool, and the nearby Governor Dodge State Park and Military Ridge State Trail.
The district underwent a notable change recently: Ridgeway Elementary, located in the nearby village of Ridgeway, closed at the end of the 2020 school year and was consolidated with Dodgeville Elementary. This shifted elementary attendance patterns for families in the Ridgeway area, who now send their children to Dodgeville. There is no publicly reported information about recent referendums, curriculum shifts, or other district-wide changes.
Civil rights data, discipline records, course access details, staffing figures, and attendance information are not available in the provided data. A parent interested in these aspects would need to ask the school or district directly. Since Dodgeville Middle does not serve high school grades, it has no graduation rate to report.
For families considering Dodgeville Middle, the picture is of a mid-sized, predominantly white middle school in a small county-seat town with a stable local economy and modest housing costs. The school’s academic results are mixed, with some grade-level groups reaching proficiency at a rate near half or above and others falling below that mark. Compared to other school districts in Iowa County, overall outcomes are on the lower side, which may be a factor for some families to weigh alongside the school’s other characteristics, such as its setting, size, and the community it serves.
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