Star Center Elementary, Lake Geneva WI

Original Research by School Decision on Star Center Elementary

Star Center Elementary is a regular public school in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Lake Geneva J1 School District. For a family considering this school, the picture that emerges is one of a moderately sized elementary building situated in a well-known resort community, with academic results that sit below the midpoint among elementary schools in Walworth County.

Lake Geneva itself is a seasonal destination built around Geneva Lake, with a walkable downtown, a public beach, and a celebrated lakeside walking path that circles the entire lake. Tourism drives the local economy, anchored by resorts like the Grand Geneva. The city has seen modest population growth over the past decade. For residents, the community offers both year-round living and a steady stream of visitors.

The district has attracted local attention for its recent funding measures. In 2022, voters approved a capital referendum for facility improvements including safety upgrades, HVAC, roofing, and classroom additions across the district. In 2024, two operational referendums passed, allowing the district to exceed state revenue limits for staff retention, class size maintenance, technology, and curriculum resources. These votes signal community support for the schools, though the operational measures are a response to ongoing budget pressures.

Star Center Elementary enrolls a moderate number of students for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority accounting for roughly one-fifth of the school. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a notable share of families with lower household incomes. The school does not appear to be a Title I school, though that designation may be structured differently in the state or district.

On state assessments, performance varies by subject and grade. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced was above the midpoint of county elementary schools for third and fourth grades, while fifth-grade math dipped slightly below that level. In English language arts, third-grade results were solid, fourth grade dropped below the midpoint, and fifth grade recovered to a level comparable to the school's math results. Science proficiency at fourth grade was below the midpoint. Social studies at fourth grade was stronger, landing well above the midpoint. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index, combining all tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint among Walworth County districts. This is the central academic fact a parent should weigh.

Because Star Center is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism is available in the current data. That absence is common for schools at this grade level, but it means a family cannot evaluate attendance patterns from this profile. Similarly, the data does not include information on student discipline, staffing ratios, or specific program offerings such as art, music, or physical education. A parent would want to ask the school directly about those elements.

The school’s location on a highway outside the immediate downtown core means it is accessible by car. The building benefits from recent district-level facility investments, so physical plant concerns may have been addressed.

For a family, Star Center Elementary offers a standard elementary program in a tourist-town setting with a modestly diverse student body and a student population where economic need is present but not overwhelming. The academic picture is mixed, with some grades performing above the county midpoint and others below. A parent who values social studies outcomes will find a bright spot; a parent focused on English or math may want to discuss instructional supports with the school. The district’s recent referendums suggest a community willing to fund schools, and the broader Lake Geneva area provides recreational and civic amenities that many families find appealing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 68% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 64% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 67% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 66% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 59% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 65% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 56% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 75% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below 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 3Lower-income48%Higher-income62%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income44%Higher-income52%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income63%Higher-income54%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income77%38 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income61%Higher-income61%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income58%1 pp gap