The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Science. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lake Holcombe Middle
Lake Holcombe Middle serves grades six through eight in the Lake Holcombe School District, a small rural district in Chippewa County. The school is located in the unincorporated community of Holcombe, a residential and recreational place on the Chippewa River and the Holcombe Flowage. The area is characterized by a mix of year-round homes and seasonal cottages, with manufacturing and construction the leading employment sectors for residents, many of whom commute to jobs elsewhere in the county. The population of Holcombe itself has been roughly stable at a modest size after a decline over the past census periods, and no major new housing developments have been identified in publicly reported sources.
The school is the middle-level building for the district, and its enrollment is small, typical for a rural K-12 system. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Asian enrollment and a very small number of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with considerable economic need. Data on the shares of students with individualized education programs and those classified as English learners were not available.
On the Wisconsin Forward Exam, Lake Holcombe Middle’s proficiency results varied notably by grade level and subject. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the range of about a quarter in sixth and seventh grades, while eighth graders showed a meaningfully higher rate. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: sixth and eighth graders had rates in the range of just over half and more than four-fifths, respectively, but seventh graders had a lower rate. In science and social studies, only eighth graders were tested, and the rates were in the range of just over two-thirds. Overall, the school’s composite proficiency index on these tests fell below the midpoint when measured against other districts in Chippewa County.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
No recent changes such as referendums, curriculum overhauls, or significant property-tax shifts were found in publicly reported materials for the Lake Holcombe district, so that section is left out rather than guessed at. The district appears to operate without major recent restructuring, and the middle school functions as a straightforward neighborhood program for this small community.
For a family considering Lake Holcombe Middle, the key takeaways are its small size, its rural setting on a campus separated from the community’s minimal cluster of buildings, and the economic context of a town where many residents work in manufacturing and construction. The academic performance on state tests is uneven, with some grade levels and subjects showing higher results than others, and the composite measure places the school below the midpoint among county districts. A parent may want to discuss with the school how instruction varies across grades and what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks, particularly in the lower-performing grade levels. The school district is the local institutional employer, and the area’s defining outdoor amenity is the Holcombe Flowage, which anchors a recreational economy of camping, boating, and seasonal tourism. For families who value a very small school in a quiet, nature-oriented community, this setting may fit; for those seeking broader academic offerings or demographic diversity, the options are limited by the school’s size and location.
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