The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Social studies. The lowest is 50% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Frederic Elementary
Frederic Elementary is a regular public school serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the small rural village of Frederic, located in northern Polk County. The school is the elementary campus of the Frederic School District, which also operates a combined six-through-twelve school for older students in the same village.
The building enrolls a modest number of students across its seven grade levels, with prekindergarten through fifth grade each containing small groups. The student body is predominantly white, with a very small share of students identifying as Hispanic or as two or more races, and an even smaller number identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that points to a degree of economic need in the community.
Academically, Frederic Elementary participates in Wisconsin's Forward assessment program. On the most recent state testing results, the school's proficiency rates in math and English language arts show a general upward progression from third to fifth grade. In third grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above in both math and ELA is around the midpoint, with fourth-grade rates somewhat higher and fifth-grade rates climbing further. In science, fourth-grade performance falls in a similar range to the same grade's math outcome. In social studies, offered only in fourth grade, the proficiency rate is higher, with a clear majority of students reaching the proficient or above threshold.
Relative to other school districts in Polk County, Frederic Elementary's overall proficiency composite sits below the midpoint of the countywide range. This comparison places the school's academic results in the lower half when measured against its immediate neighbors across the county, though it is not at the very bottom of that distribution. Parents considering the school may want to explore how the school's approach to teaching and support aligns with their child's needs, particularly in the early elementary years where lower proficiency results are concentrated.
The locale and setting of Frederic shape the experience of attending the school. Frederic is a very small village with a traditional rural layout, originally a logging community that grew into a modest retail and service hub for the surrounding area. The village has over forty acres of public parkland, a small lake with public access, a bandstand, ball fields, and an ice-skating rink. The Frederic Public Library, housed in a renovated theater building, is a notable community resource described as the second largest library in Polk County. The area around Frederic is characterized by farms, forests, open land, and many lakes. Housing in the village is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values that have shown recent appreciation but remain below the state average. The village is car-dependent, with no public transit; State Highway 35 connects it to the Twin Cities roughly an hour and a half south and the Duluth-Superior area a similar distance north.
The surrounding community includes a notable share of retirees, and the village's population has been stable, with no major new housing developments or significant growth initiatives evident from available sources. The community has invested in renovation and preservation projects, such as the depot museum and library renovation, rather than large-scale new construction. The district itself does not appear to have undergone recent major changes that would reshape the elementary school's day-to-day operations.
No data was available on discipline rates, staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, or special education and English learner populations, so readers should inquire directly at the school if those areas are priorities for their decision. The school does not report a graduation rate, as it serves only elementary grades and does not have graduating seniors. For families looking for a small, rural elementary school in a stable, lakes-and-forest setting with a library-rich community and local parks, Frederic Elementary offers a straightforward, traditional public school option.
See more original research from School Decision →