John Marshall Elementary, Wausau WI

Original Research by School Decision on John Marshall Elementary

John Marshall Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Wausau, Wisconsin, part of the Wausau School District. The school sits on Lamont Street in a residential area of a city that functions as the county seat of Marathon County and a regional hub for commerce, healthcare, and education. Wausau is located on the Wisconsin River, with a manufacturing-based economy and a significant Hmong American community. The district itself has been through a notable restructuring: a proposal to close roughly half of its elementary schools appears to have been at least partially implemented, as the current district website lists nine elementary schools rather than the earlier count. That change would have reshaped attendance boundaries and feeder patterns for families across the district.

John Marshall’s enrollment is modest for an elementary school. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian representation, and smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Information on the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

Academically, John Marshall’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Marathon County, a comparison that includes only the county’s districts. The school’s own results show a varied picture. In math, proficiency rates are lower in third and fourth grades and higher in fifth grade. In English language arts, fourth grade shows a particularly low proficiency rate, while fifth grade is stronger. In science, the single fourth-grade tested cohort shows a moderate proficiency rate. Social studies in fourth grade is the strongest subject, with just over half of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard. The pattern suggests that the school may have areas of relative strength in upper elementary, especially in fifth grade math and social studies, but that early literacy and fourth-grade reading are soft spots. A parent may want to look into what interventions and supports are available for readers who are below grade level.

The school environment itself is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status. No data on discipline, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism were provided, so those are gaps a family would need to fill through a visit or by contacting the school directly. The school serves only kindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report.

Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to the state and national benchmarks, reflecting a mix of older homes and newer development in the broader Wausau area. The community offers a traditional downtown with a redeveloped square, parks, and cultural amenities such as the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and the Grand Theater. The region’s economy is anchored by manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, and tourism.

John Marshall Elementary fits a family looking for a neighborhood school in a stable, mid-sized city with a diverse student population and a high share of students from low-income households. The academic profile is mixed, with stronger results in some subjects and grades than others. The recent district consolidation may affect which students attend John Marshall, so a parent should confirm current attendance boundaries. Families who prioritize a school with a clear record of early literacy support or who need detailed information about special education and English learner services will want to follow up directly with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 51% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 51% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 51% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 50% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 53% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 64% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

This schoolWausau 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-income5%Higher-income62%57 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income13%Higher-income24%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income53%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income52%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income41%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income73%33 pp gap