The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Social studies. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Northwoods Community Elementary
Northwoods Community Elementary is a small, regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the unincorporated rural community of Harshaw, part of the Rhinelander School District. Harshaw sits deep in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, a scattering of homes, lakes, and forest along a former railroad line that is now the Bearskin State Trail. The school is the only elementary in a sparsely populated area where the nearest city, Rhinelander, is a short drive east, and daily life depends on cars.
State testing covers grades three through five in math and English language arts, with grade four also tested in science and social studies. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school posts a proficiency score that ranks in the top quartile relative to districts in Oneida County. That is a clear strength. In math, the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations is solid in third and fifth grade and moderately lower in fourth grade, though still above the county median. In ELA, results are consistently strong across all three tested grades. Social studies in grade four is particularly high. Science in grade four is the one area where proficiency is notably lower, a soft spot a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand what supports are in place.
The student body is very small and overwhelmingly white. Roughly three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a moderate level of economic need. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not reported, and no information on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available for this profile. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rate or college readiness metrics to consider. The district itself is a conventional public system; no recent major changes were publicly reported.
Housing in the Harshaw area reflects the broader Northwoods market. Home values are close to the Wisconsin state average and slightly below the national median. The area’s median age is well above the national figure, and population growth has been flat with hints of modest in-migration from retirees and second-home buyers. There is no traditional downtown, no commercial strip, and no pedestrian infrastructure beyond the multi-use trail. Residents rely on driving for all errands and services, many of which are in Rhinelander.
Northwoods Community Elementary fits a family looking for a very small, rural school where academic proficiency in core subjects is above the county norm, especially in reading and social studies. The environment is intimate, the setting is heavily wooded and recreational, and class sizes are small enough that individual attention is built into the structure. A family considering this school should be comfortable with the isolation of Harshaw and the need to drive for shopping, medical care, and most extracurricular activities. The lower science result is the one area that invites closer inquiry. For those who value a tight-knit school in a quiet lake-and-forest landscape, Northwoods Community Elementary delivers a straightforward, capable academic foundation.
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