The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Social studies. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Markesan Intermediate
Markesan Intermediate serves third through fifth graders as part of the Markesan School District in the small, rural community of Markesan, Wisconsin. This is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it sits within a district that covers the town and its surrounding agricultural area. Because the school only serves the intermediate grades, there is no graduation rate to consider, and the typical high school measures like AP or dual-credit course access do not apply here.
The student body is small, drawn from a community with a significant share of families who qualify for economic support. The school population is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a handful of students from other racial backgrounds. Data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners was not available, which is a gap a parent may wish to clarify directly with the school.
On state assessments, Markesan Intermediate shows a mixed picture by grade level. In math, proficiency rates climb as students get older, with third grade below half proficient, fourth grade just above half, and fifth grade reaching a stronger level. In English language arts, the pattern is flatter and lower overall. Third and fourth grade proficiency rates are both near the two-fifths mark, while fifth grade comes in a bit above half. In science, tested only in fourth grade, the proficiency rate is about half. In social studies, also tested in fourth grade, the rate is a clear strength, with the highest share of students meeting the bar of any tested subject. Looking at the school’s overall performance across all tested subjects and grades, it lands below the midpoint when compared with the other districts in Green Lake County.
The school’s academic program is not described in detail in the available data. There is no information about specific offerings such as gifted programs, music, art, or extracurricular activities for this age group. A parent would need to ask the school directly about what is available outside the core academic subjects.
The community context shapes the school experience. Markesan is a compact, car-dependent rural town with a small downtown along Bridge Street, where the public library, city hall, and a local history museum are located. The school itself is on a separate campus from the downtown core. The area has a dairy-farming heritage and holds an annual June Dairy Days celebration. Housing values in the area are well below the state median, and the community’s population has been essentially flat to slightly declining over recent years. This is not a fast-growing area; it is a stable, rural setting.
The district has made recent financial moves that affect the school. Voters approved two revenue limit override referendums, one in November 2024 and another in April 2025. Both allow the district to exceed state-imposed revenue caps for the 2025-2026 through 2028-2029 school years. The stated purposes include funding educational programming, maintaining class sizes, and retaining staff, among other things. At the same time, the district’s school tax rate decreased from the 2024-2025 year to the proposed 2025-2026 rate. These developments suggest the district is working to maintain its budget within the constraints of state revenue limits while also responding to community support for increased local funding.
For a family considering Markesan Intermediate, the key takeaways are a small, rural elementary school serving grades three through five, with a student body that is largely white and economically diverse. Proficiency in math improves through the grades, while English language arts results are more moderate across all three grades. Social studies stands out as a relative strength. The district has recently secured additional local funding, and housing is affordable relative to the state. A parent should expect a stable, small-town environment with the limitations that come with that setting, including fewer program details available publicly.
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