Lake Geneva Middle, Lake Geneva WI

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Geneva Middle

Lake Geneva Middle is a regular public school in Walworth County serving sixth through eighth grade as part of the Lake Geneva J1 School District. Its student enrollment is broadly characteristic of a middle school of its size in a resort community, with a student body that is predominantly white and includes a substantial Hispanic/Latino population. A notable share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, giving the school a moderate level of economic diversity that families should weigh against their own priorities.

The school’s academic performance, measured by the Wisconsin Forward exam, places it above the midpoint among districts in Walworth County. Proficiency rates in English language arts are solid across all three grades, with eighth graders performing particularly well. Math proficiency is more varied: sixth graders hit a strong mark, but seventh grade shows a dip before rebounding in eighth grade. A parent may want to ask the school about the seventh-grade math results and what supports are in place for students who struggle with that transition. Science proficiency among eighth graders is a relative soft spot compared to the school’s own ELA and social studies scores, though social studies results are notably strong for that same grade. Overall, the pattern is one of a school that performs consistently above the county median but with clear differences between subjects that a family should examine.

Lake Geneva itself is a resort city situated on Geneva Lake, driven by tourism and hospitality. Its downtown is walkable, with restaurants, shops, a public beach, and the celebrated Geneva Lake Shore Path, a multi-mile public walking trail that circles the entire lake. The city has a mix of year-round residents and seasonal visitors, and its housing market reflects that appeal. Home values in the area are above the state benchmark, which is consistent with the desirability of lakefront and nearby properties. For a family considering moving to the district, this is a higher-cost housing market than much of Wisconsin, and the premium for lake proximity can be steep.

The district has recently taken significant steps to address facilities and operational funding. Voters approved a capital referendum for facility improvements across the district, including safety upgrades, HVAC work, and classroom additions. More recently, two operational referendum questions passed, providing additional annual revenue for staff retention, class size maintenance, technology, and curriculum. These votes signal active community investment in the schools, which may reassure families about the district’s commitment to its facilities and programming, though they also reflect the ongoing financial pressures common to many public school districts in Wisconsin.

Because Lake Geneva Middle is a middle school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate or high school course access data to report. The school’s environment, discipline, and staffing data were not available in the source material, so a family wanting a fuller picture of the daily climate should visit, talk to current parents, and ask the school directly about teacher experience and student behavior.

This is a middle school in a popular, higher-cost resort area where the district has shown a willingness to invest in itself through referendums. Academically, it delivers above-average performance in its county, with stronger ELA and social studies results and somewhat uneven math and science scores. A family moving to the area with a middle schooler should feel confident in the school’s general direction but will want to match the specific academic profile to their child’s strengths and needs, particularly in math and science.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 67%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 56% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 58% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 78%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

This schoolLake Geneva J1 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 6Lower-income55%Higher-income73%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income45%Higher-income74%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income57%Higher-income76%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income68%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income72%26 pp gap