Mead Elementary, Wisconsin Rapids WI

Original Research by School Decision on Mead Elementary

Mead Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Wisconsin Rapids School District. It is located in Wisconsin Rapids, a small city in Wood County that sits along the Wisconsin River. The community has a working-class, midwestern character and has been undergoing economic restructuring since the closure of a major paper mill several years ago, which eliminated a large number of local jobs. The local economy has shifted toward healthcare, educational software, food processing, and cranberry-related industries, but the city has experienced population decline in recent years. Civic life is integrated into the neighborhood fabric, with schools distributed through the community rather than isolated on separate campuses.

The school enrolls a modest number of elementary students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need in the student body. The student population is predominantly white, with notable shares of Hispanic students and students identifying with two or more races, as well as smaller shares of Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on the proportion of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not available for this school.

On the Wisconsin Forward state assessments, proficiency rates in math and English language arts across grades three through five fall short of the district and county midpoints. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranges roughly a third to two-fifths of test-takers, depending on the grade level. In ELA, the range is slightly lower, from about a third to just over a third. Science and social studies are tested only in fourth grade; roughly two-fifths of fourth graders scored proficient in science, while about half did so in social studies. When compared against other Wood County districts, Mead Elementary's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are performing below grade level and what interventions are in place.

The housing market around Mead Elementary is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with typical home values well below the state average. This aligns with the area's economic profile and may appeal to families seeking lower housing costs. The community offers riverfront parks, a public library, an aquatic center, and a municipal zoo, though the broader region faces headwinds from population loss and the shuttered mill.

Mead Elementary is a neighborhood school serving a high-poverty elementary population in a city that is adapting to economic change. Its academic results are lower than many other elementary schools in the county, a pattern that often correlates with concentrated poverty. Families considering this school may want to learn about specific academic support programs, early literacy and math initiatives, and how the school engages with the broader district's resources.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 47% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 53% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 47% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 46% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 46% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 48% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 56% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 63% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

This schoolWisconsin Rapids 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-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income33%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income60%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income67%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income70%41 pp gap