Darlington Community School District

The Darlington Community School District in Wisconsin operates two schools: Darlington Elementary/Middle (grades PK-8) and Darlington High (grades 9-12). While both schools face some challenges, the high school appears to outperform the elementary/middle school in several key areas.

Darlington Elementary/Middle is ranked in the bottom half of Wisconsin elementary schools and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its performance on standardized tests varies, with some grade levels and subjects above the state average and others below. However, the school has a relatively low dropout rate of 1.5% and chronic absenteeism rate of 4.4%. In contrast, Darlington High is ranked in the middle of Wisconsin high schools and also has a 2-star rating. The high school boasts an impressive 4-year graduation rate of 97.3% and a low dropout rate of 0.3%, though its academic performance on tests is also mixed.

The funding and resources available to the two schools also differ, with Darlington High spending $15,002 per student and having a student-teacher ratio of 12.1, compared to Darlington Elementary/Middle's $11,558 per student and 14.2 student-teacher ratio. These differences may contribute to the high school's stronger performance in areas like graduation and dropout prevention, though the relationship between funding, resources, and student outcomes is complex.