Original Research by School Decision on Mauston High
Mauston High serves grades nine through twelve as a regular public high school within the Mauston School District. With an enrollment in the low hundreds, it is a mid-sized high school for its grade band. The student body is fairly balanced across the four grade levels. A large majority of students are white. There are smaller groups of Hispanic students and students of two or more races, with even smaller numbers of Black, Asian, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Just over four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate share that is common in rural districts. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs and English learners were not available.
State testing results for Mauston High were not available in the data reviewed. This gap may stem from the grade band or from reporting practices; a parent looking to understand academic performance should ask the school or district for achievement results directly. Also missing were the four-year graduation rate and the chronic absenteeism rate both common metrics for a high school. Without these, it is not possible to place this school against others in Juneau County using the usual benchmarks. A parent may want to follow up with the school on these outcomes.
The district recently passed an operational referendum, which publicly reported as enabling the restoration of key staff positions, smaller class sizes, and the rebuilding of programs important to student growth and engagement. This is a concrete, parent-relevant change that shapes current conditions at the high school and across the district.
Mauston itself is a small city and the Juneau County seat, situated along the Lemonweir River near several large lakes. Its population has been essentially flat with a slight decline over the last decade. The built environment is compact and traditional small-town in character, with Riverside Park offering a riverwalk. Interstate 90/94 provides regional highway access. The high school sits on its own campus, separate from the district's other schools, which are spread around town. City Hall and the public library are downtown.
Housing values in the Mauston area are moderate, below the typical Wisconsin home price and below the national typical figure, though local values have seen more upward movement recently. The national unemployment rate is low, and the area's housing costs at current mortgage rates remain relatively manageable. No major new housing developments were publicly identified, and the overall growth context is one of stability rather than expansion.
The school's programs and course access information were not available in the data, so a detailed look at academic pathways, AP offerings, or career and technical education is not possible here. Similarly, staffing ratios and discipline data were absent. For a comprehensive picture of what Mauston High offers a student, a family would want to visit the school or its website and speak with staff. The recently approved referendum suggests the district is investing in its educational capacity, which may affect course availability and support services going forward.
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