The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Social studies. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Keshena Primary
Keshena Primary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and the sole elementary school within the Menominee Indian School District. It sits in Keshena, a small, rural census-designated place that is the county seat of Menominee County and lies entirely within the Menominee Indian Reservation. The community is the administrative center for both the county and the Menominee Nation, with tribal government, county offices, and the College of Menominee Nation campus as the major employers. There is no traditional downtown or walkable commercial district; the built environment is low-density and car-dependent, with schools and civic buildings on separated parcels. The population is young, the median household income is low, and the poverty rate is high. The school itself serves a student body that is predominantly Native American. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
State testing data is available for grades three through five in math and English language arts, and for grade four in science and social studies. Across the tested grades and subjects, proficiency rates are low. In third-grade math, a small fraction of students reached the proficient level or above. In fourth and fifth grade math, the share was even smaller. Reading and English language arts results followed a similar pattern, with single-digit proficiency rates. Science proficiency in grade four was also low. Social studies had a higher share of students scoring proficient or above, but still well under a third. The test participation rate was strong across all grades and subjects, which means the results reflect nearly the entire enrollment.
Because the school ends at fifth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access was available in the materials provided. The comparison set, relative to districts in Menominee County, contains only one district, so no meaningful peer comparison could be drawn.
A parent considering Keshena Primary should be aware that the academic attainment figures place the school well below statewide averages in every tested subject and grade. The community context is one of deep poverty, and the school serves a population that faces substantial economic challenges. There were no recent district-level changes identified in publicly reported materials, and no information on special education or English learner populations was provided. For a family weighing this school, the most important question to pursue with the district is what academic interventions and support programs are in place and how they are working. The housing market in the area is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and the community is stable but experiencing only slow population growth. The school's role as the primary elementary provider for the reservation makes it the central educational institution for the families it serves, and its results suggest an urgent need for instructional support that a prospective parent would want to understand in detail before enrolling.
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