Lincoln Elementary, Wausau WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary

Lincoln Elementary is a regular public school in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Wausau School District, which covers the county seat of Marathon County, a regional hub on the Wisconsin River known for manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, and a significant Hmong American community. The city has a redeveloped downtown core anchored by the 400 Block, a traditional grid street pattern, and outdoor assets like a whitewater kayak course and Rib Mountain State Park. The district itself, according to publicly reported accounts, recently went through a major consolidation: in 2020 it proposed closing roughly half its elementary schools, and the current district website now lists fewer elementary schools than before, meaning the boundary and feeder patterns families rely on have likely shifted. Parents moving into the area should confirm which schools are currently operating and what their attendance zone is.

Lincoln Elementary enrolls a student body that is modest in size for an elementary school. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with above-average economic need. The school is notably diverse: the largest racial or ethnic groups are white students and Asian students, the latter reflecting Wausau’s substantial Hmong population, followed by Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races. Smaller shares of Black and American Indian or Alaska Native students round out the enrollment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, which is a gap a parent may want to follow up on with the school directly.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Lincoln Elementary’s results placed the school in the bottom quarter among districts in Marathon County when overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is considered. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade: it was lower in third grade, higher in fourth grade, and in between in fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates were below half at every tested grade, with the highest share seen in third grade and the lowest in fifth grade. Fourth graders were also tested in science and social studies; roughly one-quarter met proficiency in science, and about half did so in social studies. Participation rates were very high across all tests, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. Because Lincoln is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available.

The school does not appear to publish a catalog of special programs or magnet themes; it is a regular neighborhood elementary. The district brief notes that Lincoln was among the schools proposed for closure in 2020, and while the district now shows fewer elementary schools, the exact status of Lincoln Elementary in the current configuration is something a family should verify directly with the district office. For a parent evaluating this school, the academic picture indicates a significant share of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks, and the economic profile suggests the school likely has concentrated poverty. The diversity of the student body may be a draw for families who value a multiethnic setting, and the broader Wausau area offers a range of civic and recreational amenities. But anyone considering the school should ask about recent consolidation effects, student support resources, and how the school addresses the gaps implied by its assessment results.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 50% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 51% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 51% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 51% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 51% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 50% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Science

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 53% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 64% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 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-income31%Higher-income56%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income40%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income46%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income22%Higher-income22%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income70%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income55%30 pp gap