River Valley Elementary, Spring Green WI

Original Research by School Decision on River Valley Elementary

River Valley Elementary serves students in first through fourth grade in Spring Green, part of the River Valley School District. The school occupies a regular public school building on West Daley Street in the village. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the available academic results come entirely from state assessments given in grades three and four.

The student body is relatively small and predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a very small number of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, and chronic absenteeism was not available.

State test results paint a mixed picture. In third-grade math, just over half of students scored at the proficient level or above; in fourth-grade math, that share was somewhat lower. English language arts results were broadly similar, with roughly two in five students meeting the proficiency bar in both third and fourth grades. Fourth-grade science proficiency was below two in five, while social studies was the strongest tested subject, with close to three in five students reaching the proficient level. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom tier relative to other districts in Sauk County. Participation rates were very high, meaning nearly all enrolled students took the exams.

Spring Green is a small village in the Wisconsin River Valley, known for its tourism-driven economy built around Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin estate, the American Players Theatre, and the House on the Rock. Agriculture, manufacturing, and hospitality also support local employment. The village is compact, with a walkable main street, but outlying attractions require a car. Population growth has been very slow, and the median age skews older. Housing values in the area are above the state median, and the estimated monthly mortgage cost for a median-priced home is notable, though the data used to calculate that assumes a standard down payment and interest rate.

The River Valley School District has made several recent changes that affect this elementary school. Voters approved a recurring operating referendum that provides ongoing funding beyond state revenue limits, replacing an earlier temporary measure. The district has adopted a new literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, shifting how reading is taught in the elementary grades. It also launched a full-day four-year-old kindergarten program, expanding early childhood options beyond the state’s half-day requirement. Additionally, at-risk student success centers were established at both elementary school buildings, including this one, to support students who are struggling academically or behaviorally.

No information was reported on course access, staffing ratios, or discipline incidents, so those areas remain gaps for a parent to explore directly with the school. The school’s test results, particularly in math and reading, are areas where a family may want to ask about interventions or curriculum supports. The new literacy initiative and the success centers suggest the district is actively addressing student needs, which may be relevant for families weighing this school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 55%

▼ 1 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Science

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 59%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolRiver Valley 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-income25%Higher-income55%30 pp gap

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

Grade 5Lower-income37%Higher-income40%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income63%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income49%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income37%7 pp gap