Prairie Ridge Intermediate, Reedsburg WI

Original Research by School Decision on Prairie Ridge Intermediate

Prairie Ridge Intermediate serves third through fifth graders in Reedsburg, a small city in Sauk County set about an hour northwest of Madison. The school is part of the School District of Reedsburg, which in recent years has consolidated its elementary footprint, closing two rural elementary schools in 2022 and passing a referendum for capital improvements that include high school upgrades and a new greenhouse. For families in the district, this means the elementary path now leads through a smaller set of buildings, with Prairie Ridge as the sole intermediate campus.

The school's enrollment is moderate for a three-grade intermediate school. Its student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that represents a meaningful share, and smaller numbers of students who are Black, Asian, American Indian, or of two or more races. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that puts the school's economic profile above the midpoint in terms of need relative to other districts in Sauk County.

State assessment results offer a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates decline somewhat as students move from third through fifth grade, though each grade still shows a majority of students meeting or exceeding the state standard. English language arts results are softer. Proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five sit below the math numbers, with fourth grade showing the lowest figure of the tested grades. Science, tested only in fourth grade, falls short of a majority proficient. Social studies, also tested in fourth grade, shows stronger performance, with a clear majority of students reaching proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint among the six districts in Sauk County. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports literacy across the intermediate grades, given the pattern in the English language arts results.

The school itself is a regular public school. It serves a focused age band, and because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided information, and neither were figures on staffing ratios, discipline, or course access. Missing data of this kind is common for intermediate schools, but a family looking for a fuller picture of school climate and support structures may wish to ask the school directly.

Reedsburg is a place with a downtown historic district and a mix of residential and industrial areas. The Baraboo River runs through the city, and the surrounding landscape is farmland. Housing values in the area are somewhat below the state benchmark, and the estimated home price-to-income ratio suggests a market that is more accessible than the national average. The city has a dial-a-ride transit service and a recreational trail. Schools are spread across separate campuses rather than clustered, and civic life centers on the downtown.

For a family, Prairie Ridge Intermediate offers a regular public school setting in a district that has been making facility investments and adjusting its grade configuration. The academic results are strongest in math and social studies, while literacy and science are areas where the school's performance is less consistent. The school's economic diversity is notable, with a substantial share of students qualifying for meal assistance. A parent should weigh these academic patterns against their own child's needs and consider asking the school about its approach to reading instruction and intervention.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 50%

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 63%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolReedsburg 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-income40%Higher-income63%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income49%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income61%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income59%Higher-income69%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income75%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income67%18 pp gap