Wakanda Elementary, Menomonie WI

Original Research by School Decision on Wakanda Elementary

Wakanda Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Menomonie Area School District. It sits on the east side of Menomonie, a small city in western Wisconsin that combines a college-town atmosphere with a substantial industrial base. The school draws its attendance from the surrounding residential neighborhoods and the broader community.

The student body is just over three hundred children, with class sizes in each elementary grade roughly reflecting that total. The demographic profile is predominantly white, with the largest minority groups being Asian and then two or more races; Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students each make up a very small share. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic diversity for a school of this size.

On state assessments administered in grades three through five, Wakanda Elementary’s results present a mixed picture. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varies by grade, with one grade showing just under half proficient and another grade showing well over half. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: one grade falls just below half proficient, while another rises above the typical level. Science, tested only in fourth grade, lands near the midpoint of proficiency. Social studies, also assessed in fourth grade, stands out with a majority of students meeting or exceeding the bar. When these results are combined into a single proficiency index and compared with other schools in Dunn County, Wakanda Elementary places in the bottom quarter. That position reflects the overall spread of scores across grades and subjects, and a parent may want to ask the school about specific instructional supports or interventions in place.

Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided records. The school did not report its Title I status, and no information on special education or English learner populations was included, so those elements cannot be assessed here.

Menomonie itself is the county seat of Dunn County and home to the University of Wisconsin–Stout, which brings a noticeable student presence to the city. The downtown area centers on Main Street, a designated national historic district with independent shops, restaurants, and the restored Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts. Lake Menomin sits at the south end of downtown, with a waterfront walkway and city parks that host summer concerts. Major employers include UW-Stout, a Mayo Clinic health system hospital, and a range of manufacturers such as 3M, Andersen Windows, and ConAgra Foods. The city’s population has been relatively stable in recent years, with no major housing boom reported. Interstate 94 runs through the northern part of the city, connecting to Eau Claire and the Twin Cities.

At the district level, two recent voter-approved referendums are reshaping the school system. In 2022, a recurring operational referendum allowed the district to exceed its state revenue limit for several years to maintain educational programs. In 2024, voters approved borrowing for capital improvements including safety upgrades and HVAC, and a second measure providing additional operational funding through 2029. The district has also shifted to standards-based grading at the elementary and middle school levels, with full implementation expected by 2025–2026. This means parent-teacher conferences and report cards now use proficiency indicators tied to state academic standards rather than traditional letter grades, a change that directly affects how families track their child’s progress at Wakanda Elementary.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 347%

School 47% · District 50% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 58% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 52% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 47% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 50% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 51% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Science

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 55% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 67% · ▼ 2 pts below district

even with state median

This schoolMenomonie Area 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 3Lower-income35%Higher-income55%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income58%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income80%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income55%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income48%Higher-income63%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income60%36 pp gap