The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Social studies. The lowest is 64% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Wild Rose Elementary
Wild Rose Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Wild Rose School District. It is a regular public school in a small rural village in central Wisconsin. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a K-5 building, with classes spread across each grade. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is fairly typical for a rural district in this part of the state. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest Hispanic presence and very small numbers of Black, multiracial, and American Indian students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
On state assessments in the most recent year, Wild Rose Elementary posted results that stand out among the small set of districts in Waushara County. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades fell in the top quartile when compared with other districts in the county. Reading scores were solid: around six in ten third graders scored proficient or above, and that share rose to roughly seven in ten for fourth graders before dropping back to about six in ten for fifth graders. Math performance followed a similar pattern, with third and fourth graders at about six in ten proficient and fifth graders reaching seven in ten. Science and social studies, tested only in fourth grade, showed notably strong results, with roughly three-quarters of students proficient in science and more than four in five proficient in social studies. Participation rates were nearly complete, which gives confidence that the results reflect the full grade cohorts.
Because Wild Rose Elementary stops at fifth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer the kinds of advanced coursework, career pathways, or dual-credit programs that families might look for in a secondary setting. The school’s academic program is focused on building foundations in the elementary years. No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access, so those are areas a parent would want to explore through a visit or conversation with the principal.
The school is located in the village of Wild Rose, a community of a few hundred residents that was settled by Welsh immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century. Main Street holds historic buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s, including the Pioneer Museum and the Elisha Stewart House. The village’s character is quiet and residential, with limited commercial activity. Outdoor recreation is a draw: the Mill Pond offers fishing and canoeing, the Wisconsin DNR operates a fish hatchery with a visitor center, and there are lakes, hiking, and snowmobile trails in the area. The population skews older, and growth has been slow. Housing values have risen over the past decade but remain below typical state and national medians, making the area relatively affordable for a rural Wisconsin community. The district recently had no major changes that surfaced in available records, and the school appears to operate in a stable, small-district context.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a solid, well-performing elementary in a very small community. The academic results are a clear strength relative to other schools in the same county. The environment is rural, car-dependent, and low-key, with most daily needs requiring a drive. The student body is not highly diverse, and the share of low-income families is moderate. Parents who value strong foundational test scores in a small, community-anchored school may find a good fit here. Those looking for extensive enrichment offerings, specialized programs for English learners or special education, or detailed data on school climate will need to seek that information directly from the school, as those details were not available in the public record.
See more original research from School Decision →