Is Black River Falls High a good school?

Black River Falls High ranks in the bottom 5.8% of Wisconsin high schools.

How many students attend Black River Falls High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 479 students attended Black River Falls High.

What is the racial makeup of Black River Falls High?

Students at Black River Falls High are 66% White, 23% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Black River Falls High?

Black River Falls High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Forrest Street Elementary School Elementary : Red Creek Elementary Middle : Black River Falls Middle

Black River Falls High

Summary:

Black River Falls High is a public high school serving 479 students in grades 9-12 in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, which is part of the Black River Falls School District. Unfortunately, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Wisconsin high schools over the past 10 years and has received a 0-star or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing high schools in the state.

Black River Falls High faces significant challenges in terms of student performance, with particularly low rankings for its female, male, and white student subgroups, often placing in the bottom 25% of Wisconsin high schools. The school's proficiency rates on state assessments are significantly below the state averages across all subject areas, and its four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 83% and 92.9% over the past five years. Additionally, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 28.3% to 32.6% over the past five years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High and Blair-Taylor Middle/High schools generally outperform Black River Falls High in terms of statewide rankings, academic achievement, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High, in particular, stands out with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, higher proficiency rates, and a 100% graduation rate. These comparisons suggest that the challenges faced by Black River Falls High may be unique to the school or district, rather than a broader regional issue.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1200 Pierce St
Black River Falls, WI 54615-1559

(715) 284-4324

District: Black River Falls School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
406^th of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,399

Feeder schools for Black River Falls High:

Elementary:	Forrest Street Elementary School
	Red Creek Elementary
Middle:	Black River Falls Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 479

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.0%

American Indian:

23.2%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.3%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Black River Falls High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Black River Falls High ranks worse than 94.2% of high schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.67. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Black River Falls High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (66%), American Indian (23.2%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Black River Falls High is 11.9. (See more...)

Compare Black River Falls High employs 40.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Black River Falls High is $13,399.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Black River Falls High:

SchoolDigger ranks Black River Falls High 406^th of 431 Wisconsin public high schools. (See Black River Falls High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Black River Falls School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Black River Falls School District 399^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Black River Falls High?

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Rank History for Black River Falls High

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Rank History for all students at Black River Falls High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	48.15	197^th	275	28.4%
2005	41.79	234^th	287	18.5%
2006	39.87	236^th	292	19.2%
2007	35.16	233^rd	281	17.1%
2008	31.48	380^th	437	13.0%
2009	35.43	371^st	438	15.3%
2010	26.83	402^nd	450	10.7%
2011	48.98	317^th	445	28.8%
2012	58.85	227^th	452	49.8%
2013	30.48	386^th	457	15.5%
2014	39.84	349^th	462	24.5%
2015	42.80	356^th	466	23.6%
2016	14.35	381^st	408	6.6%
2017	9.51	392^nd	410	4.4%
2018	18.33	371^st	410	9.5%
2019	19.14	355^th	400	11.3%
2021	25.88	305^th	390	21.8%
2022	16.04	363^rd	391	7.2%
2023	15.46	384^th	415	7.5%
2024	11.67	406^th	431	5.8%

See the entire list of Wisconsin High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Black River Falls High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2021	24.93	185^th	226	18.1%
2022	22.47	217^th	250	13.2%
2023	36.90	191^st	271	29.5%
2024	16.04	292^nd	326	10.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Black River Falls High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	35.36	255^th	355	28.2%
2021	21.52	275^th	332	17.2%
2022	28.67	274^th	343	20.1%
2024	10.17	335^th	353	5.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Black River Falls High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	9.76	365^th	373	2.1%
2019	13.78	332^nd	354	6.2%
2021	28.06	255^th	334	23.7%
2022	12.29	336^th	347	3.2%
2023	6.13	352^nd	359	1.9%
2024	25.13	301^st	365	17.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Black River Falls High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	22.06	216^th	261	17.2%
2019	16.13	241^st	266	9.4%
2021	28.69	199^th	266	25.2%
2022	14.32	253^rd	269	5.9%
2023	9.75	260^th	271	4.1%
2024	10.68	280^th	300	6.7%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High 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 Black River Falls High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	436	n/a	2	4	40	n/a	n/a	482
1990	427	1	0	4	58	n/a	n/a	490
1991	433	2	1	2	49	n/a	n/a	487
1992	438	3	3	2	49	n/a	n/a	495
1993	466	3	4	1	51	n/a	n/a	525
1994	486	2	1	3	55	n/a	n/a	547
1995	540	0	0	4	73	n/a	n/a	617
1996	540	0	0	4	73	n/a	n/a	617
1997	531	1	1	5	73	n/a	n/a	611
1998	502	0	2	2	73	n/a	n/a	579
1999	503	3	3	0	87	n/a	n/a	596
2000	502	0	2	2	86	n/a	n/a	592
2001	503	0	1	4	80	n/a	n/a	588
2002	540	0	3	5	98	n/a	n/a	646
2003	540	0	3	5	98	n/a	n/a	646
2004	566	6	3	7	107	n/a	n/a	689
2005	545	7	6	5	96	n/a	n/a	659
2006	535	7	7	6	119	n/a	n/a	674
2007	501	8	3	4	111	n/a	n/a	627
2008	458	4	4	4	88	n/a	n/a	558
2009	465	5	4	9	91	n/a	n/a	574
2010	440	6	6	10	83	n/a	n/a	545
2011	415	4	2	12	66	0	9	508
2012	393	7	3	14	80	2	12	511
2013	382	6	4	12	85	2	13	504
2014	389	8	3	9	93	1	15	518
2015	379	6	2	14	102	3	13	519
2016	383	4	1	17	95	2	14	516
2017	372	5	2	14	94	3	15	505
2018	370	4	2	22	93	1	20	512
2019	352	6	0	24	100	0	20	502
2020	331	6	1	21	89	0	26	474
2021	325	6	0	22	109	0	25	487
2022	314	8	0	20	105	0	27	474
2023	316	6	0	16	111	0	30	479

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 Black River Falls High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	482	34.5	13.9	20.5
1990	490	34.0	14.4	22
1991	487	35.5	13.7	26.3
1992	495	34.3	14.4	27.9
1993	525	35.3	14.9	29
1994	547	35.1	15.6	24.5
1995	617	37.2	16.6	21.4
1996	617	37.2	16.6	21.4
1997	611	39.0	15.7	22.3
1998	579	39.1	14.8	24.4
1999	596	40.1	14.9	35.1
2000	592	39.3	15.1	29.4
2001	588	40.3	14.6	32.8
2002	646	43.8	14.7	28.6
2003	646	43.8	14.7	28.6
2004	689	43.8	15.7	24.4
2005	659	44.1	14.9	n/a
2006	674	45.0	15.0	n/a
2007	627	43.8	14.3	32.9
2008	558	44.8	12.5	25.8
2009	574	43.4	13.2	35.4
2010	545	41.5	13.1	37.6
2011	508	40.3	12.5	40.9
2012	511	37.6	13.5	41.1
2013	504	35.3	14.2	41.7
2014	518	36.8	14.0	44.6
2015	519	n/a	n/a	43.2
2016	516	38.0	13.5	43
2017	505	37.0	13.6	34.7
2018	512	35.1	14.5	36.7
2019	502	35.1	14.2	39.6
2020	474	32.7	14.4	41.4
2021	487	33.3	14.6	46.6
2022	474	41.3	11.4	49.6
2023	479	40.1	11.9	49.3

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 Black River Falls High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	482	34.5	13.9	20.5
1990	490	34.0	14.4	22
1991	487	35.5	13.7	26.3
1992	495	34.3	14.4	27.9
1993	525	35.3	14.9	29
1994	547	35.1	15.6	24.5
1995	617	37.2	16.6	21.4
1996	617	37.2	16.6	21.4
1997	611	39.0	15.7	22.3
1998	579	39.1	14.8	24.4
1999	596	40.1	14.9	35.1
2000	592	39.3	15.1	29.4
2001	588	40.3	14.6	32.8
2002	646	43.8	14.7	28.6
2003	646	43.8	14.7	28.6
2004	689	43.8	15.7	24.4
2005	659	44.1	14.9	n/a
2006	674	45.0	15.0	n/a
2007	627	43.8	14.3	32.9
2008	558	44.8	12.5	25.8
2009	574	43.4	13.2	35.4
2010	545	41.5	13.1	37.6
2011	508	40.3	12.5	40.9
2012	511	37.6	13.5	41.1
2013	504	35.3	14.2	41.7
2014	518	36.8	14.0	44.6
2015	519	n/a	n/a	43.2
2016	516	38.0	13.5	43
2017	505	37.0	13.6	34.7
2018	512	35.1	14.5	36.7
2019	502	35.1	14.2	39.6
2020	474	32.7	14.4	41.4
2021	487	33.3	14.6	46.6
2022	474	41.3	11.4	49.6
2023	479	40.1	11.9	49.3

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 Black River Falls High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$294 (2.6%)	$11,219 (97.4%)	$11,513
2020	$434 (3.4%)	$12,485 (96.6%)	$12,919
2021	$656 (4.9%)	$12,742 (95.1%)	$13,399

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Black River Falls High

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 355^th of 400 High schools	Ranks 384^th of 415 High schools	3.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Social Studies (Black River Falls High)	31.9	39	7.1%
10th Grade Social Studies (Black River Falls School District)	31.9	39	7.1%
10th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	45.9	47.2	1.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Black River Falls High)	27.6	10.7	16.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Black River Falls School District)	27.6	10.7	16.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	38.8	41.4	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Black River Falls High)	16.2	14.1	2.1%
10th Grade Mathematics (Black River Falls School District)	16.2	14.1	2.1%
10th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	30.8	29.8	1%
10th Grade Science (Black River Falls High)	26.7	14.6	12.1%
10th Grade Science (Black River Falls School District)	26.7	14.6	12.1%
10th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	32.7	31.7	1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	502	479	4.6%
African American	6	6
American Indian	100	111	11%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	24	16	33.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	352	316	10.2%
Two or More Races	20	30	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.6%	49.3%	9.6%

Schools Near Black River Falls High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ACT English Language Arts (2024)	ACT Mathematics (2024)	ACT Science (2024)	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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Black River Falls High	Public	9-12	1200 Pierce St	Black River Falls	54615	Jackson County	Black River Falls School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 284-4324	479	40	11.9	49.3%	316 (66.0%)	6 (1.3%)	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (23.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.3%)	11.7	406^th of 431 public high schools	5.8%		15.5	384^th of 415 public high schools	7.5%	22	15.3	11.4	20.3								41.5		$13,399	$656	$12,742
Jackson Correctional Institution	Public	12	N6500 Haiper Rd	Black River Falls	54615	Jackson County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(715) 284-7360	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lincoln Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	124 S School St	Alma Center	54611	Jackson County	Alma Center School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 964-5311	257	20	12.8	58.0%	206 (80.2%)	1 (0.4%)	37 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	7 (2.7%)	51.6	209^th of 431 public high schools	51.5%		39.5	260^th of 415 public high schools	37.3%	51	50.0	39.5	47.4		42.5	36.7		57.5	51.0	46.9	45.7	40.8	$12,610	$549	$12,061
Black River Correctional Center	Public	12	W6898 E Staffon Rd	Black River Falls	54615	Jackson County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(715) 333-5681	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High	Public	7-12	N181 State Road 108	Melrose	54642	Jackson County	Melrose-Mindoro School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 488-2201	330	27	12.3	38.8%	304 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	56	182^nd of 431 public high schools	57.8%		55	177^th of 415 public high schools	57.3%	5	50.0	46.6	43.1		49.0	43.8		53.1	45.8	60.4	51.1	45.8	$20,914	$672	$20,240
Blair-Taylor Middle/High	Public	6-12	N31024 Elland Rd	Blair	54616	Trempealeau County	Blair-Taylor School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 989-2525	327	28	11.6	46.5%	291 (89.0%)	2 (0.6%)	21 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	47.8	232^nd of 431 public high schools	46.2%		21.7	360^th of 415 public high schools	13.3%	128	48.7	48.7	48.7	41.5	35.9	31.4	41.5	45.3	60.0	48.6	27.9	34.3	$14,450	$575	$13,875

Black River Falls High

Black River Falls High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Black River Falls School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Black River Falls High

Rank History for all students at Black River Falls High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Black River Falls High

Rank History for Female students at Black River Falls High

Rank History for Male students at Black River Falls High

Rank History for White students at Black River Falls High

Enrollment information for Black River Falls High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Black River Falls High

Student/Teacher Ratio Black River Falls High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Black River Falls High

Impact of COVID-19 on Black River Falls High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Black River Falls High