The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Social studies. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southwestern Wisconsin Community Middle
Southwestern Wisconsin Community Middle is a small, regular public school serving grades six through eight in the village of Hazel Green, part of the Southwestern Wisconsin School District. The school sits in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, a region of rolling farmland and small communities. With a modest enrollment for a middle school, the building draws its students from Hazel Green and the surrounding rural area. The student body is overwhelmingly white, and a notable share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the agricultural and working-class character of the community.
On state assessments, the school’s results are mixed and vary by grade and subject. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced ranged from just over a third in sixth grade to just over half in seventh grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: sixth graders posted a rate near three-fifths, while eighth graders came in at just over a quarter. Science and social studies, tested only in eighth grade, showed rates in the mid-fifties, close to where math and ELA landed for that grade’s stronger subjects. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Grant County. The numbers do not tell the full story of any individual student, but they do suggest that the school’s academic achievement lags behind many of its county neighbors, and a parent may want to follow up by asking the school about its approach to instruction and support for students who need extra help.
The school is a regular neighborhood school with no charter or magnet designation. It participates in the state’s Forward assessment, and all tested groups had full participation. Records do not show the proportion of students receiving special education or English learner services, so that picture is incomplete. The small size of each grade gives the school a close-knit feel; class groups are small enough that teachers likely know every student by name.
Hazel Green itself is a quiet agricultural village with a flat to slightly declining population. Most daily needs involving shopping, medical care, or entertainment require a short drive to Dubuque, Iowa, or Galena, Illinois. The village has invested in an industrial park and holds land for future development, but residential growth has been minimal. Housing values in the area are lower than the state median, making it a relatively affordable place to live. The school district is the largest employer in town, and civic life revolves around the village hall, a recreation park, and a few local businesses. Walkability is limited; families drive for nearly everything.
A publicly reported development may matter to families considering the school: the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction commissioned a study that recommended Southwestern Wisconsin School District consolidate with three neighboring districts due to declining enrollment. The district already shares some services with Benton and Cuba City. Whether consolidation happens remains uncertain, but the possibility means that the school’s structure and even its identity could change in the coming years. A parent moving into the area may want to track how the district responds to that recommendation.
For a family looking for a small, rural middle school where teachers know their students and the pace of life is unhurried, Southwestern Wisconsin Community Middle is exactly that kind of place. The academic performance is below average for the county, so a parent who places a high priority on test scores should look carefully at what the school offers for enrichment and intervention. The community context is stable but not growing, and the consolidation question adds a layer of uncertainty. The school is what the data describes: a modest, locally rooted institution in a quiet corner of the state, with academic results that call for further conversation with the school itself.
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