The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Social studies. The lowest is 45% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillsboro Elementary
Hillsboro Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Hillsboro School District, a small rural district in Vernon County, Wisconsin. The school occupies a compact town that calls itself the Czech capital of Wisconsin, set in the Driftless Region along the West Branch of the Baraboo River. Hillsboro’s population has been stable with a slight decline over the past decade, and the area functions as a rural service center surrounded by farmland and Amish settlements. The economy historically centered on dairying and light manufacturing; today the most prominent employer appears to be the local hospital. No major new housing developments or growth initiatives were found in available sources, and the district brief turned up no recent changes likely to affect a family’s decision.
The school enrolls just over two hundred students across seven grade levels, with each grade’s class size varying but remaining small overall. Roughly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that positions the school within a typical range for a rural Wisconsin elementary serving a broad economic mix. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a small number of students identifying as two or more races; other racial groups make up a tiny fraction of enrollment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and language support.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture across subjects and grades. In English language arts, third and fourth graders posted proficiency rates close to the midpoint among tested students, while fifth graders’ rate was lower. In math, the pattern was similar: third and fourth graders performed at a moderate level, and fifth graders again turned in a lower result. Fourth graders also took science and social studies assessments; their performance was stronger in social studies than in science. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint among the six school districts in Vernon County. For a parent weighing academic fit, this means the school offers a solid foundation for early elementary years, but the dip in fifth-grade scores across both math and reading is a soft spot worth discussing with the principal or classroom teachers to understand what supports are available for that transition year.
Because Hillsboro Elementary ends at fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report; students continue to the district’s middle and high school for the later grades. The school’s location in a small town means most families can reach the building quickly, and the compact layout of Hillsboro keeps the school close to the historic downtown and civic facilities. The Hillsboro State Bike Trail runs through the area, and Wildcat Mountain State Park is a short drive away, offering outdoor recreation that families might find appealing.
For the family considering this school, the primary consideration is the academic trajectory: early elementary performance is adequate, but the school would benefit from a conversation about how it supports students as they approach the end of elementary grades. The economic context is modest but not distressed, with housing values in the area below both state and national benchmarks. The district has not reported any major recent changes, so parents can expect stability in programming and leadership. This is a straightforward small-town elementary school where class sizes are manageable, the community is tight-knit, and the academic results are mixed but not alarming. A parent who values a rural setting, small classes, and proximity to outdoor recreation will find it a reasonable fit, while those seeking consistently strong upper-elementary outcomes will want to dig deeper into the fifth-grade performance trend.
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