The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Social studies. The lowest is 69% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on South Shore Jr/sr High
South Shore Jr/Sr High sits in the small rural lakeshore community of Port Wing, a place along Lake Superior’s south shore known as one of the few remaining active commercial fishing villages in that part of the state. The village itself has a modest collection of homes, art galleries, a museum, local eateries, a seasonal farmer’s market, and tourist lodging, but the population has declined in recent years, and the community is not experiencing significant growth. The school shares the village fabric; its campus is integrated into the town rather than set apart, and the school district is likely a major local employer. The setting is low-density and highway-oriented, and while a few amenities cluster near the village center, a vehicle is the practical way to get around.
The school serves grades seven through twelve and is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Its enrollment is small for a secondary school that covers six grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Black students, as well as students identifying with two or more races. Roughly four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is relatively modest for a rural school and suggests a middle-to-lower-income community overall.
Academically, the picture that emerges from state testing is one of solid performance, especially when set against the county. Wisconsin’s Forward assessments in math, English language arts, science, and social studies are administered at grades seven and eight at this school, and across those tested subjects and grades, proficiency rates run well above the median among the four districts in Bayfield County. In fact, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of that comparison set. In eighth grade, rates for English language arts, science, and social studies are notably high, while seventh-grade math and English language arts also show strong proficiency. The seventh-grade participation rate on the tests was lower than the eighth-grade rate, which a parent might want to inquire about, but the numbers of tested students are small enough that single students can shift a percentage point notably.
No state testing data are available for grades nine through twelve at this school, which is typical because Wisconsin’s Forward assessments are not given at the high school level. No graduation rate is reported here, and no chronic absenteeism or discipline data are in the available record. That does not mean these are problems; it simply means the information was not part of the data provided for this profile. A family considering the high school years would want to ask the school directly about graduation rates, postsecondary pathways, and course offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical education options, none of which were documented in the materials reviewed.
The housing market in the Port Wing area reflects the rural and lakeshore character. Home values are modest compared with state and national benchmarks, and mortgage rates as of mid-2026 are in a range that has become familiar nationally. Rents have been rising, as they have across the country. The economic context shows a low unemployment rate nationally and slowly rising median household income, though Port Wing’s poverty rate was above the national figure in the most recent census data.
For a family looking for a very small rural school in a quiet lakeshore community, South Shore Jr/Sr High offers a close-knit environment with strong academic results in the middle grades. The community is stable but not growing, and the commercial and civic life is tied to Lake Superior tourism and fishing. The school is the one public secondary option in the area, and its performance relative to other Bayfield County districts is a clear strength. Parents interested in high school programs beyond the core curriculum will need to gather information directly from the school, as those details were not available in the data provided.
See more original research from School Decision →