Is Birchwood Elementary a good school?

Birchwood Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.9% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

How many students attend Birchwood Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 101 students attended Birchwood Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Birchwood Elementary?

Students at Birchwood Elementary are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Birchwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Birchwood Middle High : Birchwood High

Birchwood Elementary

Summary:

Birchwood Elementary is a public elementary school located in Birchwood, Wisconsin, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 101 students. The school is part of the Birchwood School District, which is ranked 298 out of 428 districts in Wisconsin and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Birchwood Elementary faces several challenges, including a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 6.1% in 2018-2019 to 20.2% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Cameron Elementary (11.0%) and Bruce Elementary (20.4%). The school's academic performance, as measured by the Forward Exam, is generally below the state and district averages, with only 26.67% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 52.07%. Additionally, Birchwood Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 43.84% to 53.47% in recent years, significantly higher than nearby schools like Cameron Elementary (42.42%) and Haugen Elementary (34.09%).

Interestingly, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 8.1 to 10 students per teacher in recent years, does not appear to be translating into better academic outcomes. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 327 out of 1,037 Wisconsin elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 860 out of 1,061 in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school's performance has been declining relative to other schools in the state. However, a nearby charter school, Birchwood Public Montessori, has outperformed Birchwood Elementary in several areas, such as 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency (62.5% vs. 26.67% in 2023-2024) and chronic absenteeism (0.0% vs. 20.2% in 2022-2023).

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

300 S Wilson St
Birchwood, WI 54817-8841

(715) 354-3471

District: Birchwood School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
860^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,054

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Birchwood Middle
High:	Birchwood High

Student/teacher ratio: 10.0

Number of students: 101

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Hispanic:

5.0%

American Indian:

4.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.5%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Birchwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birchwood Elementary ranks worse than 81.1% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.62. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.1%), Hispanic (5%), American Indian (4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birchwood Elementary is 10. (See more...)

Compare Birchwood Elementary employs 10 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birchwood Elementary is $18,054.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birchwood Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Birchwood Elementary 860^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Birchwood Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Birchwood School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Birchwood School District 298^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Birchwood Elementary?

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Rank History for Birchwood Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Birchwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2008	32.88	827^th	1021	19.0%
2009	39.38	781^st	1030	24.2%
2010	38.23	785^th	1045	24.9%
2011	39.44	809^th	1046	22.7%
2012	49.84	688^th	1045	34.2%
2013	57.36	481^st	1053	54.3%
2014	59.73	440^th	1061	58.5%
2015	43.50	727^th	1076	32.4%
2016	26.28	861^st	1075	19.9%
2017	52.88	546^th	1071	49.0%
2018	64.01	362^nd	1025	64.7%
2019	67.05	327^th	1037	68.5%
2021	62.28	393^rd	1050	62.6%
2022	54.81	526^th	1067	50.7%
2023	22.96	874^th	1067	18.1%
2024	23.62	860^th	1061	18.9%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Birchwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	78.22	89^th	854	89.6%
2019	86.95	31^st	874	96.5%
2023	21.76	763^rd	871	12.4%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Birchwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	64.42	361^st	997	63.8%
2019	58.23	439^th	1002	56.2%
2022	52.61	526^th	1017	48.3%
2023	16.00	870^th	1010	13.9%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Birchwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	61.72	380^th	997	61.9%
2019	74.82	192^nd	1002	80.8%
2022	33.47	747^th	1017	26.5%
2023	16.06	870^th	1011	13.9%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Birchwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	73.41	146^th	699	79.1%
2024	17.71	648^th	727	10.9%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Birchwood Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	192	n/a	1	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	194
1990	192	0	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	195
1991	191	2	0	2	2	n/a	n/a	197
1992	158	0	0	2	2	n/a	n/a	162
1993	194	0	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	199
1994	193	2	0	6	3	n/a	n/a	204
1995	209	0	0	6	7	n/a	n/a	222
1996	209	0	0	6	7	n/a	n/a	222
1997	197	0	0	7	3	n/a	n/a	207
1998	215	1	0	0	5	n/a	n/a	221
1999	219	1	0	4	3	n/a	n/a	227
2000	226	1	0	4	4	n/a	n/a	235
2001	202	1	0	3	4	n/a	n/a	210
2002	205	1	0	2	5	n/a	n/a	213
2003	205	1	0	2	5	n/a	n/a	213
2004	202	2	0	2	7	n/a	n/a	213
2005	1	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1
2006	119	0	0	3	8	n/a	n/a	130
2007	123	0	1	2	8	n/a	n/a	134
2008	117	1	1	2	4	n/a	n/a	125
2009	128	1	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	134
2010	113	0	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	117
2011	91	0	0	24	2	0	0	117
2012	124	0	0	20	3	0	1	148
2013	144	0	0	1	2	0	2	149
2014	127	1	0	2	6	0	4	140
2015	123	3	0	3	2	0	3	134
2016	105	0	0	2	1	0	3	111
2017	112	0	0	2	2	0	2	118
2018	100	0	0	2	1	0	4	107
2019	85	0	0	4	2	0	4	95
2020	100	0	0	1	7	0	6	114
2021	70	0	0	1	1	0	1	73
2022	80	1	0	6	4	0	4	95
2023	90	0	0	5	4	0	2	101

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Birchwood Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	194	13.5	14.3	25.3
1990	195	11.5	16.9	22.6
1991	197	10.0	19.7	23.9
1992	162	12.0	13.5	26.5
1993	199	11.2	17.8	30.2
1994	204	12.7	16.1	27.5
1995	222	12.5	17.8	26.1
1996	222	12.5	17.8	26.1
1997	207	12.3	16.8	26.1
1998	221	12.3	18.0	22.6
1999	227	12.9	17.6	40.1
2000	235	14.2	16.5	35.7
2001	210	11.3	18.6	30.5
2002	213	16.9	12.6	36.6
2003	213	16.9	12.6	36.6
2004	213	19.3	11.0	46
2005	1	11.0	0.1	n/a
2006	130	10.7	12.1	n/a
2007	134	10.7	12.5	48.5
2008	125	11.3	11.1	57.6
2009	134	10.9	12.3	54.5
2010	117	10.6	10.9	52.1
2011	117	10.8	10.7	63.2
2012	148	11.1	13.2	64.2
2013	149	12.0	12.3	70.5
2014	140	10.0	13.9	64.3
2015	134	n/a	n/a	62.7
2016	111	10.0	11.1	59.5
2017	118	8.9	13.1	51.7
2018	107	7.9	13.4	52.3
2019	95	8.4	11.2	56.8
2020	114	8.7	13.0	49.1
2021	73	9.0	8.1	43.8
2022	95	9.4	10.0	3.2
2023	101	10.0	10.0	53.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Birchwood Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	194	13.5	14.3	25.3
1990	195	11.5	16.9	22.6
1991	197	10.0	19.7	23.9
1992	162	12.0	13.5	26.5
1993	199	11.2	17.8	30.2
1994	204	12.7	16.1	27.5
1995	222	12.5	17.8	26.1
1996	222	12.5	17.8	26.1
1997	207	12.3	16.8	26.1
1998	221	12.3	18.0	22.6
1999	227	12.9	17.6	40.1
2000	235	14.2	16.5	35.7
2001	210	11.3	18.6	30.5
2002	213	16.9	12.6	36.6
2003	213	16.9	12.6	36.6
2004	213	19.3	11.0	46
2005	1	11.0	0.1	n/a
2006	130	10.7	12.1	n/a
2007	134	10.7	12.5	48.5
2008	125	11.3	11.1	57.6
2009	134	10.9	12.3	54.5
2010	117	10.6	10.9	52.1
2011	117	10.8	10.7	63.2
2012	148	11.1	13.2	64.2
2013	149	12.0	12.3	70.5
2014	140	10.0	13.9	64.3
2015	134	n/a	n/a	62.7
2016	111	10.0	11.1	59.5
2017	118	8.9	13.1	51.7
2018	107	7.9	13.4	52.3
2019	95	8.4	11.2	56.8
2020	114	8.7	13.0	49.1
2021	73	9.0	8.1	43.8
2022	95	9.4	10.0	3.2
2023	101	10.0	10.0	53.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Birchwood Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,458 (9.7%)	$13,500 (90.2%)	$14,959
2020	$547 (4.3%)	$12,279 (95.7%)	$12,826
2021	$1,446 (8.0%)	$16,609 (92.0%)	$18,054

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Birchwood Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 327^th of 1037 Elementary schools	Ranks 874^th of 1067 Elementary schools	50.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary)	56.3	20	36.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood School District)	54.6	16.7	37.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Birchwood Elementary)	62.5	20	42.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Birchwood School District)	54.6	16.7	37.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary)	53.3	23.1	30.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood School District)	57.1	26.7	30.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	43.9	45.8	1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Birchwood Elementary)	33.3	30.8	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Birchwood School District)	33.3	33.3
4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	46.2	46.5	0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Birchwood Elementary)	86.7	53.9	32.8%
4th Grade Social Studies (Birchwood School District)	81	53.3	27.6%
4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	53.4	59.7	6.4%
4th Grade Science (Birchwood Elementary)	66.7	46.2	20.5%
4th Grade Science (Birchwood School District)	66.7	46.7	20%
4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	53.9	52.1	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood Elementary)	50	14.3	35.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Birchwood School District)	53.3	26.3	27%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	40.9	39.2	1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Birchwood Elementary)	42.9	21.4	21.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Birchwood School District)	46.7	21.1	25.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	47.8	48.4	0.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	95	101	6.3%
African American	0	0
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	4	5	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	85	90	5.9%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.8%	53.5%	3.4%

Schools Near Birchwood Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Birchwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 S Wilson St	Birchwood	54817	Washburn County	Birchwood School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 354-3471	101	10	10.0	53.5%	90 (89.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	23.6	860^th of 1061 public elementary schools	18.9%		23	874^th of 1067 public elementary schools	18.1%	14	26.7	33.3	44.4		13.3	33.3	33.3		44.4	66.7	$18,054	$1,446	$16,609
Birchwood Public Montessori	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	201 E Birch St	Birchwood	54817	Washburn County	Birchwood School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(715) 354-3471	32	4	8.8	59.4%	26 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.4%)								(n/a)	62.5				25.0						$15,209	$702	$14,507
Haugen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	615 5th St W	Haugen	54841	Barron County	Rice Lake Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 234-7341	88	9	9.8	34.1%	84 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64	422^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	60.2%		65.2	375^th of 1067 public elementary schools	64.9%	47	33.3	76.9			25.0	76.9			92.3	69.2	$14,703	$736	$13,966
Hilltop Elementary	Public	K-4	202 Cameron Rd	Rice Lake	54868	Barron County	Rice Lake Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 234-4998	262	23	11.3	45.4%	218 (83.2%)	2 (0.8%)	31 (11.8%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	48.2	640^th of 1061 public elementary schools	39.7%		66.7	347^th of 1067 public elementary schools	67.5%	293	55.8	40.8			65.4	52.0			58.0	46.0	$13,602	$1,247	$12,356
Tainter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2201 Carrie Ave	Rice Lake	54868	Barron County	Rice Lake Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 234-8065	481	45	10.7	51.6%	434 (90.2%)	4 (0.8%)	19 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	46.5	662^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	37.6%		63.5	404^th of 1067 public elementary schools	62.1%	258	48.8	54.6			57.3	50.7			55.8	45.5	$15,471	$1,605	$13,867
Cameron Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	919 N 2nd St	Cameron	54822	Barron County	Cameron School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 458-4560	422	31	13.6	42.4%	392 (92.9%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	72.2	284^th of 1061 public elementary schools	73.2%		69.2	311^th of 1067 public elementary schools	70.9%	27	61.8	66.2			65.8	68.9			73.0	64.9	$12,374	$1,009	$11,367
Bruce Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	104 W Washington Ave	Bruce	54819	Rusk County	Bruce School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 868-2585	200	21	9.4	63.5%	182 (91.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.5%)	22.3	870^th of 1061 public elementary schools	18.0%		40	711^th of 1067 public elementary schools	33.4%	159	33.3	31.0	39.1		45.5	31.0	30.4		40.0	40.0	$14,590	$1,504	$13,086
Shell Lake Primary (K-2)	Public	PK, KG-2	271 Highway 63	Shell Lake	54871	Washburn County	Shell Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 468-7815	147	15	10.0	57.1%	132 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)								(n/a)											$17,799	$2,427	$15,372
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)	Public	3-6	271 Highway 63	Shell Lake	54871	Washburn County	Shell Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 468-7815	178	17	10.5	52.2%	160 (89.9%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.1%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	77.8	189^th of 1061 public elementary schools	82.2%		68.1	327^th of 1067 public elementary schools	69.4%	138	52.3	82.6	71.7	60.4	72.7	91.3	67.9	70.8	87.0	82.6	$14,136	$631	$13,505

Birchwood Elementary

Birchwood Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Birchwood School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Birchwood Elementary

Rank History for all students at Birchwood Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Birchwood Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Birchwood Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Birchwood Elementary

Rank History for White students at Birchwood Elementary

Enrollment information for Birchwood Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Birchwood Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Birchwood Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Birchwood Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Birchwood Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Birchwood Elementary