The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Social studies. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Wayne Bartels Middle
Wayne Bartels Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Portage, Wisconsin. It sits within the Portage Community School District and occupies a building that was once the city’s high school, according to publicly reported accounts. The school has a moderate enrollment for a middle school, drawing from the community of Portage and surrounding areas of Columbia County.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, student performance varied by grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates were mixed across the three middle grades: sixth graders showed a lower share meeting the state benchmark, while seventh and eighth graders posted rates that were higher, though still below what many families might consider strong. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with seventh graders performing at a level that was notably stronger than sixth graders, and eighth graders in between. The school’s science results for eighth graders, the only tested grade in that subject, were comparable to its math and ELA rates. Social studies proficiency for eighth graders reached a level that was the highest among all tested subjects and grades at the school, though still modest in absolute terms.
When compared with other school districts in Columbia County, Wayne Bartels Middle’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades fell in the bottom quartile among the county’s districts. This places the school at the lower end of the local academic spectrum. A parent looking at these results may want to inquire directly with the school about how it supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks and what additional help is available.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of students who identify as Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available; families may wish to ask the school for that information directly.
Portage, the city that houses the school, is a small county seat with a population that has declined modestly in recent years. The city has a historic downtown area with local shops and restaurants, a separate commercial corridor with big-box retail, and a mix of older grid streets and more suburban-style streets to the north. Home values in the area are moderate, generally below state and national medians. The city has an Amtrak station, three interstate highways nearby, and several parks and a canal with a bike path. Major employers include the state correctional institution and local government. The overall growth context is flat rather than expanding; no major new housing developments were identified in publicly available information.
The Portage Community School District does not appear to have undergone any recent referendums, curriculum overhauls, or other major changes reported in publicly available sources from the past several years. That may mean the district has been stable, or simply that such changes were not captured in the research. Families should check with the district office for the most current information on budgets, programs, and facilities plans.
Wayne Bartels Middle is a straightforward, traditional public middle school in a small, stable city. Its academic record, especially relative to other districts in the county, is a soft spot that prospective families should explore further. The school offers no special designations such as magnet or charter status, and the available data does not describe specific program offerings or extracurriculars. For a family considering this school, a conversation with the principal or a visit during a school day would be the most direct way to understand how the school addresses the academic gap and what the student experience looks like day to day.
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