Shell Lake School District

The Shell Lake School District in Wisconsin operates three schools: two elementary schools (Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) and Shell Lake Primary (K-2)) and one junior/senior high school (Shell Lake Junior/Senior High). The district serves a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, with high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch across all three schools.

Among the standout schools in the district, Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) stands out with strong academic performance, particularly in mathematics, where over 70% of students were proficient or better in 2023-2024, significantly outperforming the state average. The school also has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 9.8%. Meanwhile, Shell Lake Junior/Senior High has shown improvement in its state ranking, moving from a 1-star to a 3-star rating, and boasts an impressive 93.6% four-year graduation rate, well above the state average.

The data also reveals variations in spending per student across the schools, with Shell Lake Primary (K-2) having the highest spending at $17,799 per student, compared to $14,136 for Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) and $13,841 for Shell Lake Junior/Senior High. This may be an area worth further investigation to understand the factors driving these differences and how they impact the educational experiences and outcomes of students.