Is Portage High a good school?

Portage High ranks 278 th of 431 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Portage High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 706 students attended Portage High.

What is the racial makeup of Portage High?

Students at Portage High are 85% White, 10% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Portage High?

Portage High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Endeavor Elementary Elementary : Lewiston Elementary Elementary : Muir Elementary Elementary : Woodridge Elementary Middle : Wayne Bartels Middle Prekindergarten : Portage Partnering Preschool

Portage High

Summary:

Portage High is a public high school located in Portage, Wisconsin, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 706 students. The school is part of the Portage Community School District, which is ranked 271 out of 428 districts in Wisconsin and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Portage High has consistently maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 91.6% to 95.8% over the past five years, which is a notable strength compared to the state average. However, the school's dropout rates have fluctuated, ranging from 0.2% to 6.7%, and its chronic absenteeism has increased significantly, rising from 14.3% in 2018-2019 to 23.9% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the state average. Portage High's test scores in subjects like Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science have generally been below the state averages, with some exceptions, suggesting room for academic improvement. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, rising from 23.86% in 2021-2022 to 31.73% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Lodi High and Poynette High, Portage High's performance is generally lower, with these schools having higher rankings, graduation rates, and test scores. Within Portage High, there are also significant performance gaps between different student subgroups, with male students generally outperforming female students and white students underperforming compared to Hispanic students. The school's small alternative high school, Portage Academy of Achievement, has a lower enrollment of 25 students and different performance metrics, such as an 85% four-year graduation rate and 0% chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public 6-12

301 E Collins St
Portage, WI 53901-3424

(608) 742-8545

District: Portage Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
278^th of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,038

Feeder schools for Portage High:

Elementary:	Endeavor Elementary
	Lewiston Elementary
	Muir Elementary
	Woodridge Elementary
Middle:	Wayne Bartels Middle
Prekindergarten:	Portage Partnering Preschool

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 706

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.6%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.7%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Portage High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Portage High ranks worse than 64.5% of high schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.74. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Portage High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (84.6%), Hispanic (9.8%), two or more races (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portage High is 14.6. (See more...)

Compare Portage High employs 48.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portage High is $12,038.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Portage High:

SchoolDigger ranks Portage High 278^th of 431 Wisconsin public high schools. (See Portage High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Portage Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Portage Community School District 271^st of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Portage High

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Rank History for all students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	52.26	180^th	275	34.5%
2005	46.52	220^th	287	23.3%
2006	66.90	110^th	292	62.3%
2007	59.48	170^th	281	39.5%
2008	63.92	169^th	437	61.3%
2009	43.35	337^th	438	23.1%
2010	52.06	305^th	450	32.2%
2011	61.84	205^th	445	53.9%
2012	61.78	206^th	452	54.4%
2013	41.44	340^th	457	25.6%
2014	46.33	312^th	462	32.5%
2015	73.77	80^th	466	82.8%
2016	63.24	117^th	408	71.3%
2017	50.97	191^st	410	53.4%
2018	61.57	134^th	410	67.3%
2019	60.84	140^th	400	65.0%
2021	41.24	231^st	390	40.8%
2022	40.61	231^st	391	40.9%
2023	50.22	200^th	415	51.8%
2024	39.74	278^th	431	35.5%

See the entire list of Wisconsin High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.73	59^th	95	37.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	35.66	174^th	255	31.8%
2019	50.88	110^th	251	56.2%
2021	18.74	204^th	226	9.7%
2023	39.05	181^st	271	33.2%
2024	16.74	287^th	326	12.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	59.01	144^th	355	59.4%
2019	64.45	101^st	343	70.6%
2021	34.36	227^th	332	31.6%
2022	33.99	241^st	343	29.7%
2023	40.52	207^th	329	37.1%
2024	27.62	282^nd	353	20.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	57.57	128^th	373	65.7%
2019	51.17	159^th	354	55.1%
2021	42.75	196^th	334	41.3%
2022	43.78	197^th	347	43.2%
2023	53.21	153^rd	359	57.4%
2024	47.69	192^nd	365	47.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	57.21	37^th	86	57.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Portage High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	53.70	101^st	261	61.3%
2019	51.94	116^th	266	56.4%
2021	32.83	180^th	266	32.3%
2022	32.20	193^rd	269	28.3%
2023	43.21	149^th	271	45.0%
2024	34.15	214^th	300	28.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Portage High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	545	n/a	2	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	549
1990	503	0	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	510
1991	479	1	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	486
1992	510	1	6	1	1	n/a	n/a	519
1993	515	2	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	526
1994	532	2	7	3	0	n/a	n/a	544
1995	583	1	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	592
1996	583	1	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	592
1997	616	1	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	624
1998	876	4	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	899
1999	915	3	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	923
2000	907	4	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	924
2001	887	6	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	904
2002	863	1	4	14	3	n/a	n/a	885
2003	863	1	4	14	3	n/a	n/a	885
2004	826	3	5	20	3	n/a	n/a	857
2005	773	7	5	28	4	n/a	n/a	817
2006	787	8	5	27	5	n/a	n/a	832
2007	775	10	2	29	7	n/a	n/a	823
2008	764	13	2	25	11	n/a	n/a	815
2009	780	10	5	25	8	n/a	n/a	828
2010	759	14	9	27	11	n/a	n/a	820
2011	719	8	8	37	11	1	7	791
2012	701	9	7	35	11	1	7	771
2013	717	12	6	32	10	1	6	784
2014	682	13	7	29	10	1	3	745
2015	719	16	11	28	11	1	2	788
2016	734	15	14	31	8	1	3	806
2017	714	16	15	45	4	0	9	803
2018	706	17	14	38	5	0	7	787
2019	674	15	13	51	3	0	9	765
2020	676	18	9	57	6	0	11	777
2021	646	21	9	62	6	0	16	760
2022	596	19	7	77	5	0	17	721
2023	597	10	6	69	5	0	19	706

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 Portage High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	549	32.0	17.1	5.6
1990	510	36.0	14.1	6.5
1991	486	36.0	13.5	11.9
1992	519	36.0	14.4	13.7
1993	526	37.1	14.2	12.5
1994	544	38.9	14.0	13.1
1995	592	41.2	14.4	11.7
1996	592	41.2	14.4	11.7
1997	624	41.2	15.1	13.6
1998	899	50.5	17.8	13
1999	923	55.5	16.6	20
2000	924	59.4	15.6	20.6
2001	904	65.1	13.9	21.3
2002	885	49.2	18.0	14.9
2003	885	49.2	18.0	14.9
2004	857	60.1	14.3	14.8
2005	817	61.6	13.3	n/a
2006	832	60.3	13.8	n/a
2007	823	59.3	13.9	23.5
2008	815	56.9	14.3	18.2
2009	828	56.3	14.7	24.5
2010	820	54.5	15.0	24.1
2011	791	53.8	14.6	23.6
2012	771	51.0	15.0	28.4
2013	784	50.7	15.4	33.9
2014	745	47.2	15.7	34.8
2015	788	n/a	n/a	35.2
2016	806	50.0	16.1	33.3
2017	803	49.5	16.2	28.3
2018	787	51.7	15.1	26.2
2019	765	51.2	14.9	28.6
2020	777	50.7	15.3	28.8
2021	760	52.1	14.5	34.1
2022	721	52.4	13.7	23.9
2023	706	48.1	14.6	31.7

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 Portage High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	549	32.0	17.1	5.6
1990	510	36.0	14.1	6.5
1991	486	36.0	13.5	11.9
1992	519	36.0	14.4	13.7
1993	526	37.1	14.2	12.5
1994	544	38.9	14.0	13.1
1995	592	41.2	14.4	11.7
1996	592	41.2	14.4	11.7
1997	624	41.2	15.1	13.6
1998	899	50.5	17.8	13
1999	923	55.5	16.6	20
2000	924	59.4	15.6	20.6
2001	904	65.1	13.9	21.3
2002	885	49.2	18.0	14.9
2003	885	49.2	18.0	14.9
2004	857	60.1	14.3	14.8
2005	817	61.6	13.3	n/a
2006	832	60.3	13.8	n/a
2007	823	59.3	13.9	23.5
2008	815	56.9	14.3	18.2
2009	828	56.3	14.7	24.5
2010	820	54.5	15.0	24.1
2011	791	53.8	14.6	23.6
2012	771	51.0	15.0	28.4
2013	784	50.7	15.4	33.9
2014	745	47.2	15.7	34.8
2015	788	n/a	n/a	35.2
2016	806	50.0	16.1	33.3
2017	803	49.5	16.2	28.3
2018	787	51.7	15.1	26.2
2019	765	51.2	14.9	28.6
2020	777	50.7	15.3	28.8
2021	760	52.1	14.5	34.1
2022	721	52.4	13.7	23.9
2023	706	48.1	14.6	31.7

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 Portage High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$450 (4.0%)	$10,840 (96.0%)	$11,290
2020	$518 (4.5%)	$10,932 (95.5%)	$11,450
2021	$873 (7.3%)	$11,164 (92.7%)	$12,038

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Portage 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 140^th of 400 High schools	Ranks 200^th of 415 High schools	13.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Social Studies (Portage High)	52.7	42.9	9.9%
10th Grade Social Studies (Portage Community School District)	52.7	41.7	11%
10th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	45.9	47.2	1.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Portage High)	45.9	44.1	1.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Community School District)	45.3	41.2	4.1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	38.8	41.4	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Portage High)	37.2	31.7	5.5%
10th Grade Mathematics (Portage Community School District)	35.4	29.4	6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	30.8	29.4	1.3%
10th Grade Science (Portage High)	32	33.5	1.6%
10th Grade Science (Portage Community School District)	30.4	31.1	0.7%
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	765	706	7.7%
African American	15	10	33.3%
American Indian	3	5	66.7%
Asian	13	6	53.8%
Hispanic	51	69	35.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	674	597	11.4%
Two or More Races	9	19	111.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.6%	31.7%	3.1%

Schools Near Portage 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
Portage High	Public	6-12	301 E Collins St	Portage	53901	Columbia County	Portage Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 742-8545	706	48	14.6	31.7%	597 (84.6%)	10 (1.4%)	69 (9.8%)	6 (0.8%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.7%)	39.7	278^th of 431 public high schools	35.5%		50.2	200^th of 415 public high schools	51.8%	78	45.8	44.3	42.8								29.9		$12,038	$873	$11,164
Columbia Correctional Institution	Public	11-12	2925 Columbia Dr	Portage	53901	Columbia County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(608) 742-9100	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Portage Academy of Achievement	Public	9-12	2505 New Pinery Rd	Portage	53901	Columbia County	Portage Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 742-2165	25	1	25.0	12.0%	19 (76.0%)	1 (4.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (12.0%)								(n/a)													$11,230	$348	$10,881
Pardeeville High	Public	9-12	120 Oak St	Pardeeville	53954	Columbia County	Pardeeville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 429-2153	266	22	12.2	28.9%	247 (92.9%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	51.1	217^th of 431 public high schools	49.7%		66.3	111^th of 415 public high schools	73.3%	106	57.8	45.1	36.6								42.7		$14,154	$354	$13,801
Poynette High	Public	9-12	108 N Cleveland St	Poynette	53955	Columbia County	Poynette School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 635-4347	307	24	12.8	23.5%	291 (94.8%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	79	64^th of 431 public high schools	85.2%		70.6	97^th of 415 public high schools	76.6%	33	62.5	50.0	53.8								69.7		$12,871	$676	$12,195
Rio Middle/High	Public	6-12	411 Church St	Rio	53960	Columbia County	Rio Community School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 992-3141	190	21	9.1	35.8%	176 (92.6%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.7%)	51.9	208^th of 431 public high schools	51.7%		63.9	127^th of 415 public high schools	69.4%	81	45.5	40.9	45.5	40.0	69.6	52.4	36.7	56.5	52.4	71.4	52.2	42.9	$15,644	$291	$15,353
Baraboo High	Public	9-12	1201 Draper St	Baraboo	53913	Sauk County	Baraboo School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 355-3940	917	69	13.3	41.5%	713 (77.8%)	15 (1.6%)	109 (11.9%)	7 (0.8%)	26 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.1%)	33.2	315^th of 431 public high schools	26.9%		21.7	356^th of 415 public high schools	14.2%	41	47.0	34.9	36.4								34.0		$13,003	$321	$12,682
Wisconsin Dells High	Public	9-12	1501 Brew Farm Rd	Wisconsin Dells	53965	Columbia County	Wisconsin Dells School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 253-1461	603	33	18.2	48.3%	426 (70.6%)	9 (1.5%)	112 (18.6%)	6 (1.0%)	30 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.3%)	62.6	147^th of 431 public high schools	65.9%		48	215^th of 415 public high schools	48.2%	68	53.9	53.1	48.1								44.5		$12,226	$561	$11,665
Montello Junior/Senior High	Public	7-12	222 Forest Ln	Montello	53949	Marquette County	Montello School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 297-7617	256	28	9.2	46.1%	233 (91.0%)	3 (1.2%)	14 (5.5%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	21.3	373^rd of 431 public high schools	13.5%		24.1	344^th of 415 public high schools	17.1%	29	32.3	32.3	29.0		41.0	24.2		46.2	18.2	57.6	36.4	36.4	$16,618	$382	$16,237
High Marq Environmental Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	222 Forest Ln	Montello	53949	Marquette County	Montello School District	Yes	No	No	No	(608) 297-7617	33	2	16.5	45.5%	31 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						50.0			66.7	50.0		66.7	$13,147	$322	$12,825

Portage High

Portage High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Portage Community School District:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Portage High

Rank History for all students at Portage High

Rank History for Special Education students at Portage High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portage High

Rank History for Female students at Portage High

Rank History for Male students at Portage High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portage High

Rank History for White students at Portage High

Review counts

Enrollment information for Portage High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Portage High

Student/Teacher Ratio Portage High

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