New Glarus Middle, New Glarus WI

Original Research by School Decision on New Glarus Middle

New Glarus Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the village of New Glarus, a small Wisconsin community with a distinctive Swiss heritage. The school is part of the New Glarus School District, which covers the village and the surrounding town. For a middle school, the enrollment is moderate, giving the building a scale where students can be known without the anonymity of a much larger campus.

Academically, New Glarus Middle performs at a level that stands out among middle schools in Green County. On the Wisconsin Forward Exam, the share of students scoring proficient or above in both math and English language arts was consistently solid across all three grades, with eighth-grade ELA reaching an especially high mark. Science proficiency, tested in eighth grade, was somewhat lower but still above half of students meeting the standard. Social studies results in eighth grade matched the school’s generally strong pattern. When measured against other schools in Green County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it at the top of the field. That kind of consistent, above-average performance suggests a program that delivers reliable academic preparation for the high school years ahead.

The student body is predominantly White, with small numbers of students who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, or of two or more races. A relatively low share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that most families have household incomes above the threshold for that assistance. The school’s demographics reflect the broader community’s economic profile — the village has a notable tourism and brewing economy, and housing values in the area are above both state and national benchmarks. That combination of strong test scores and a modest share of low-income students is typical of districts where the community’s economic base provides stability.

The village of New Glarus itself is compact and walkable, with a downtown full of Swiss-style storefronts, bakeries, restaurants, and museums. The local economy relies heavily on tourism, anchored by festivals and the New Glarus Brewing Company. The school district, not just the middle school, is one of the largest employers in town. For parents, the daily experience of living here includes easy access to the Sugar River State Trail and nearby state parks, along with a strong sense of small-town civic life.

The school’s test participation rates were very high, meaning the proficiency results reflect nearly all enrolled students, not a selected group. That reinforces the confidence one can place in the academic picture. No data was available on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those aspects of school life. The district has not recently undertaken major visible changes, so the current program and leadership are likely familiar to the community.

New Glarus Middle offers a strong academic environment for families who want a middle school that performs well on state measures and serves a relatively homogenous, economically stable community. It fits students who will move on to a district high school, and the village provides a distinctive, tight-knit setting with a robust lineup of community events and outdoor recreation.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 679%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 21 pts above state median

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 27 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 677%

School 77% · District 77%

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 777%

School 77% · District 77%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 88%

▲ 36 pts above state median

Science

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 15 pts above state median

This schoolNew Glarus 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 5Lower-income38%Higher-income65%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income80%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income81%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income69%Higher-income92%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income66%35 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income82%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income79%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income82%18 pp gap