The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Math. The lowest is 58% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Spring Road Elementary
Spring Road Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade as part of the Neenah Joint School District, a regular public school in Neenah, Wisconsin. The school sits just outside the city’s core, on County Road II, and occupies the lower end of the district’s grade structure: elementary schools now host K-4 following a district-wide reconfiguration that accompanied the opening of a new high school. That reconfiguration, funded by a voter-approved referendum, is a lasting change that families moving into the area will encounter as a settled fact.
Academically, Spring Road Elementary posts results that place it in the top quartile overall among districts in Winnebago County. State assessments for the most recent testing year show a majority of students reaching proficiency across all tested subjects and grades. In math and English language arts, third graders demonstrated particularly strong performance, with a large share meeting or exceeding expectations. Fourth-grade ELA was a relative soft spot; while still above half proficient, the drop-off from third grade is noticeable enough that a parent may want to ask the school about the transition between those years. Science and social studies, tested only in fourth grade, also show a solid majority of students scoring proficient. Across the board, participation rates were near complete, so these results reflect nearly the full cohort.
The school enrolls a modest-sized student body. Roughly two out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic diversity that is common in many Wisconsin communities. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and Asian students, and a very small number of Black or multiracial students. Data on disability status and English learner status was not reported, so readers should direct inquiries to the school if those dimensions matter to their decision.
Neenah itself is a city of industrial and manufacturing roots, with major employers like Kimberly-Clark, Plexus, and Neenah Foundry headquartered there. It sits on Lake Winnebago and the Fox River and is part of the Fox Cities metro area, which has been growing. The downtown has a riverfront park with concerts and a farm market, and a network of trails for walking and biking. The city is a short drive from Appleton and Oshkosh via Interstate 41. Housing values in the area are in line with the state benchmark, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The local economy has been healthy by national measures, with unemployment low and incomes rising.
The district context matters here. The 2020 referendum not only funded a new high school—described by the district as the most modern in Wisconsin—but also shifted the grade configuration so that elementary schools now only serve K-4. Previously the former high school building became an intermediate school for grades 5-6, and a middle school hosts grades 7-8. This means Spring Road Elementary feeds into a clear, deliberate sequence of buildings. The district notes that it took on long-term debt for the first time with this referendum, but that its property tax rate remains among the lowest in the Fox Valley. For a family comparing tax burdens across nearby districts, that is a concrete point.
There is no graduation rate for Spring Road because it does not serve high school grades. Discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, and program offerings were not provided, so a fuller picture of the school’s environment and course access would require a direct check with the school or district. What is clear is that Spring Road Elementary delivers consistent academic results in a district that has invested heavily in its facilities and grade structure while keeping taxes competitive. It is a straightforward K-4 neighborhood school in a manufacturing-based small city that is part of a growing metro area. Families looking for early elementary years with above-average test outcomes and a stable district context will find this a reasonable option.
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