Marion High, Marion WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Marion High

Marion High is a small public school serving grades seven through twelve in the rural city of Marion, which straddles Waupaca and Shawano Counties. The school sits near the center of town, just off Main Street, and shares a district with an elementary school a few blocks away. The community itself is small and has been slowly losing population, though the city actively markets industrial land along the highway and retains a manufacturing base rooted in the area’s lumber history. For a family considering this school, the context matters: this is a tight-knit, low-density place where the school and town are intertwined.

The student body is overwhelmingly white, and just under half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the district’s economic profile. The school is compact, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the six grades. Class sizes are modest, and the school is the only secondary option in the Marion district, so nearly all local students in these grades attend here.

On state assessments, results are mixed and generally lower than those of other districts in Waupaca County. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quarter of the county’s eight districts. In math, proficiency rates in seventh and eighth grade were below the county midpoint; eighth grade English language arts fared better, with about half of students reaching proficiency. Science and social studies in eighth grade were stronger, with social studies results notably higher than the other subjects. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are not yet proficient in math and reading, especially since the school serves as the only pathway through middle and high school.

The school does not report a graduation rate in this data, so it is not possible to evaluate how many students finish in four years. Similarly, chronic absenteeism and other civil rights indicators were not available. For a family weighing this school, those are gaps worth raising with the administration.

The district recently raised its property tax rate and qualifies as a low-spending district under Wisconsin law, meaning it can exceed the usual revenue cap by a set amount per pupil without a referendum. That classification could shape future budgets and tax bills for residents. Housing in Marion is more affordable than the Wisconsin median, and the area’s home values have risen in recent years, but the overall cost of living remains below state averages.

This school fits a family looking for a small, community-centered environment in a rural setting where students move through middle and high school in one building. The academic results are on the lower side relative to the county, but the school offers the basics without many of the specialized programs found in larger districts. Any family considering Marion High should visit, ask about the missing graduation and attendance data, and understand how the district supports students who are below proficiency in core subjects.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 35 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

528 schools plotted. 25 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 40% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 54% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Science

Grade 857%

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

▲ 6 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 72% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

This schoolMarion 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 7Lower-income20%Higher-income42%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income65%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income42%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income46%15 pp gap