The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Social studies. The lowest is 57% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hilltop Elementary
Hilltop Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Rice Lake, a small city in northwestern Wisconsin that functions as a commercial, industrial, educational, and medical hub for surrounding rural communities. The school sits within the Rice Lake Area School District and draws its students from this city and the immediate area. Because Hilltop serves only early elementary grades, it does not report a graduation rate, and state testing is limited to the grades tested—third and fourth graders take the Forward assessments in math and English language arts, while fourth graders also take science and social studies.
On the 2024–25 Forward assessments, Hilltop’s performance places it among the stronger elementary schools in Barron County, based on the available proficiency data. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was solid in both third and fourth grade, each landing above the countywide median for the school’s tested grades. English language arts scores showed a similar pattern, with proficiency rates in the mid-to-upper range across both grades. Fourth-grade social studies results were particularly strong, with a clear majority of students reaching the proficient bar. Science, tested only in fourth grade, also saw a majority of students meet the benchmark. The school’s overall proficiency index—a combined measure across subjects and grades—sits in the top quartile among Barron County districts, meaning that relative to its immediate geographic peers, Hilltop is delivering results that are consistently above the middle of the pack.
Hilltop’s enrollment is modest and typical for a neighborhood elementary school serving kindergarten through fourth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller but visible share of Hispanic students, and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Around half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that many families in the district face economic pressures. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not provided, so a parent interested in those supports would want to ask the school directly.
The community context matters for how a family experiences the school. Rice Lake is a small city that grew from a lumber town in the late 1800s and now serves as a regional crossroads. It has a compact downtown along Main Street near the lake, with a mix of older commercial buildings, lakefront residential areas, and newer development along the highway corridors. US Highway 53 runs just west of the city, making the area accessible for commuting to smaller towns in the region. Housing values in the zip code have been trending upward, and the cost of buying a home here is lower than the state and national medians, which may make Rice Lake a more attainable place for families to put down roots. Rent is also below national levels, though the gap between renting and owning is modest.
No recent district-level changes that would directly affect Hilltop were identified in a search of publicly reported information. The district appears to have maintained a stable course in terms of schools and programming. Parents considering Hilltop will find a school that delivers solid academic results relative to its county peers, serves a moderate-income community, and sits in a small city that offers a mix of small-town character and regional services. For families looking at the elementary years and wanting a school with consistent proficiency numbers and a manageable size, Hilltop is a straightforward option. The absence of test data for kindergarten through second grade is normal, as those grades are not part of Wisconsin’s statewide testing program.
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