Is James Williams Middle a good school?

James Williams Middle ranks 377 th of 641 Wisconsin middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Williams Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 472 students attended James Williams Middle.

What is the racial makeup of James Williams Middle?

Students at James Williams Middle are 87% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of James Williams Middle attend?

Students who attend James Williams Middle usually go on to attend Rhinelander High

James Williams Middle

Summary:

James Williams Middle is a public middle school located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 472 students. The school is part of the Rhinelander School District, which is ranked 297 out of 428 districts in Wisconsin and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Over the past 10 years, James Williams Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Wisconsin middle schools, typically ranking between 370-460 out of 600-640 schools. Its academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on the Forward Exam, is consistently below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and Native American students performing relatively well, but the school struggling with its White and Low Socioeconomic Status student populations. Additionally, the school has seen a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.3% in 2018-2019 to 14.7% in 2022-2023.

When compared to the nearby middle schools of Tomahawk, Elcho, and Three Lakes Junior High, James Williams Middle generally performs worse academically, with lower proficiency rates and lower statewide rankings. For example, in 2023-2024, Three Lakes Junior High had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts (63-64%) and Mathematics (69-72%) compared to James Williams Middle. Despite the higher spending per student and relatively low student-teacher ratio, James Williams Middle is not translating these resources into improved academic outcomes, suggesting potential issues with the effectiveness of resource allocation and instructional practices.

Detail:

Public 6-8

915 Acacia Ln
Rhinelander, WI 54501-2806

(715) 365-9220

District: Rhinelander School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
377^th of 641 Wisconsin Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,787

Students who attend James Williams Middle usually attend:

High:

Rhinelander High

Feeder schools for James Williams Middle:

Elementary:	Central Elementary
	Crescent Elementary
	Northwoods Community Elementary
	Pelican Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 472

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.9%

Hispanic:

3.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.3%

See top rated Wisconsin middle schools

Compare James Williams Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Williams Middle ranks worse than 58.8% of middle schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.54. (See more...)

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 (86.9%), Hispanic (3.8%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Williams Middle is 12.5. (See more...)

Compare James Williams Middle employs 37.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Williams Middle is $16,787.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Williams Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks James Williams Middle 377^th of 641 Wisconsin public middle schools. (See James Williams Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Rhinelander School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Rhinelander School District 297^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for James Williams Middle?

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Rank History for James Williams Middle

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Rank History for all students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	48.48	228^th	324	29.6%
2005	61.45	167^th	332	49.7%
2006	60.02	203^rd	382	46.9%
2007	64.37	160^th	366	56.3%
2008	55.78	300^th	519	42.2%
2009	50.99	340^th	521	34.7%
2010	41.23	424^th	539	21.3%
2011	43.00	430^th	549	21.7%
2012	38.87	454^th	559	18.8%
2013	40.81	412^th	569	27.6%
2014	46.10	381^st	585	34.9%
2015	36.52	455^th	612	25.7%
2016	33.82	448^th	609	26.4%
2017	24.93	494^th	612	19.3%
2018	37.48	410^th	579	29.2%
2019	34.24	438^th	594	26.3%
2021	36.92	427^th	613	30.3%
2022	31.49	458^th	617	25.8%
2023	45.17	371^st	640	42.0%
2024	48.54	377^th	641	41.2%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	42.15	234^th	417	43.9%
2019	34.17	298^th	414	28.0%
2021	35.43	304^th	437	30.4%
2022	49.19	187^th	421	55.6%
2023	41.28	250^th	439	43.1%
2024	47.24	195^th	425	54.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	33.08	372^nd	489	23.9%
2019	32.97	367^th	487	24.6%
2021	34.53	367^th	499	26.5%
2022	26.85	417^th	522	20.1%
2023	43.70	293^rd	525	44.2%
2024	44.57	287^th	520	44.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	39.97	389^th	551	29.4%
2019	36.35	410^th	557	26.4%
2021	41.22	381^st	574	33.6%
2022	33.52	414^th	576	28.1%
2023	47.75	313^th	579	45.9%
2024	52.19	302^nd	580	47.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	37.53	386^th	551	29.9%
2019	34.12	413^th	557	25.9%
2021	35.49	405^th	572	29.2%
2022	32.21	421^st	577	27.0%
2023	43.56	346^th	591	41.5%
2024	46.24	355^th	585	39.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	96.39	2^nd	229	99.1%

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

Rank History for Native American students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	45.05	10^th	17	41.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at James Williams Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	20.87	321^st	375	14.4%
2019	18.41	341^st	382	10.7%
2021	23.96	328^th	393	16.5%
2022	17.87	352^nd	397	11.3%
2023	28.57	313^th	412	24.0%
2024	27.12	316^th	407	22.4%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle 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 James Williams Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	629	1	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	635
1989	647	n/a	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	653
1990	627	0	3	1	6	n/a	n/a	637
1991	681	0	5	4	7	n/a	n/a	697
1992	706	0	2	7	13	n/a	n/a	728
1993	763	0	1	10	12	n/a	n/a	786
1994	748	1	4	6	7	n/a	n/a	766
1995	732	0	10	5	7	n/a	n/a	754
1996	732	0	10	5	7	n/a	n/a	754
1997	766	1	11	2	5	n/a	n/a	785
1998	822	2	1	2	5	n/a	n/a	832
1999	831	1	0	0	8	n/a	n/a	840
2000	792	4	3	12	8	n/a	n/a	819
2001	771	4	6	7	16	n/a	n/a	804
2002	710	4	4	10	13	n/a	n/a	741
2003	710	4	4	10	13	n/a	n/a	741
2004	716	4	6	6	12	n/a	n/a	744
2005	616	7	6	5	13	n/a	n/a	647
2006	573	9	10	7	14	n/a	n/a	613
2007	577	11	6	8	10	n/a	n/a	612
2008	518	8	7	3	10	n/a	n/a	546
2009	504	6	4	0	8	n/a	n/a	522
2010	450	6	4	2	10	n/a	n/a	472
2011	436	7	2	9	7	1	4	466
2012	427	4	1	8	8	0	7	455
2013	424	4	1	7	7	0	11	454
2014	404	2	2	5	3	0	9	425
2015	405	5	4	6	7	0	11	438
2016	414	6	2	10	8	0	6	446
2017	443	10	2	11	15	1	1	483
2018	455	9	1	17	13	0	5	500
2019	475	11	0	17	15	0	8	526
2020	478	11	2	14	15	0	10	530
2021	468	11	3	13	12	0	9	516
2022	448	9	4	13	10	0	9	493
2023	424	8	3	14	13	0	10	472
2024	410	9	7	18	11	0	17	472

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 James Williams Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	635	39.0	16.2	20.5
1989	653	42.0	15.5	23
1990	637	44.0	14.4	18.5
1991	697	45.8	15.2	17.2
1992	728	44.6	16.3	22.1
1993	786	44.8	17.5	18.4
1994	766	46.0	16.7	18.1
1995	754	46.3	16.3	17.9
1996	754	46.3	16.3	17.9
1997	785	46.3	17.0	15.8
1998	832	47.1	17.7	16.8
1999	840	50.8	16.5	24.9
2000	819	46.9	17.5	25.9
2001	804	45.9	17.5	29.7
2002	741	43.8	16.9	35.8
2003	741	43.8	16.9	35.8
2004	744	48.8	15.2	35.3
2005	647	45.0	14.4	n/a
2006	613	42.4	14.5	n/a
2007	612	40.0	15.3	39.9
2008	546	38.5	14.2	41.9
2009	522	36.9	14.1	45
2010	472	35.9	13.1	42.4
2011	466	33.0	14.1	45.3
2012	455	31.1	14.6	45.5
2013	454	30.8	14.7	47.6
2014	425	32.2	13.1	44.9
2015	438	n/a	n/a	50
2016	446	32.0	13.9	48.4
2017	483	33.9	14.2	44.9
2018	500	33.5	14.9	45.2
2019	526	34.5	15.2	52.3
2020	530	36.5	14.4	50.4
2021	516	37.4	13.7	53.5
2022	493	35.9	13.7	47.1
2023	472	37.7	12.5	51.5
2024	472	37.7	12.5	52.3

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 James Williams Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	635	39.0	16.2	20.5
1989	653	42.0	15.5	23
1990	637	44.0	14.4	18.5
1991	697	45.8	15.2	17.2
1992	728	44.6	16.3	22.1
1993	786	44.8	17.5	18.4
1994	766	46.0	16.7	18.1
1995	754	46.3	16.3	17.9
1996	754	46.3	16.3	17.9
1997	785	46.3	17.0	15.8
1998	832	47.1	17.7	16.8
1999	840	50.8	16.5	24.9
2000	819	46.9	17.5	25.9
2001	804	45.9	17.5	29.7
2002	741	43.8	16.9	35.8
2003	741	43.8	16.9	35.8
2004	744	48.8	15.2	35.3
2005	647	45.0	14.4	n/a
2006	613	42.4	14.5	n/a
2007	612	40.0	15.3	39.9
2008	546	38.5	14.2	41.9
2009	522	36.9	14.1	45
2010	472	35.9	13.1	42.4
2011	466	33.0	14.1	45.3
2012	455	31.1	14.6	45.5
2013	454	30.8	14.7	47.6
2014	425	32.2	13.1	44.9
2015	438	n/a	n/a	50
2016	446	32.0	13.9	48.4
2017	483	33.9	14.2	44.9
2018	500	33.5	14.9	45.2
2019	526	34.5	15.2	52.3
2020	530	36.5	14.4	50.4
2021	516	37.4	13.7	53.5
2022	493	35.9	13.7	47.1
2023	472	37.7	12.5	51.5
2024	472	37.7	12.5	52.3

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 James Williams Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$300 (2.4%)	$12,287 (97.6%)	$12,588
2020	$268 (2.2%)	$12,120 (97.8%)	$12,388
2021	$530 (3.2%)	$16,257 (96.8%)	$16,787

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James Williams Middle

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 438^th of 594 Middle schools	Ranks 371^st of 640 Middle schools	15.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (James Williams Middle)	30.5	31.1	0.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Rhinelander School District)	30.5	31.1	0.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	41.7	40.6	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (James Williams Middle)	39	37.1	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Rhinelander School District)	39	37.1	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	43.5	42.6	0.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (James Williams Middle)	31.3	41.3	10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Rhinelander School District)	31.3	41	9.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	45.5	41.1	4.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (James Williams Middle)	26.3	34.6	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Rhinelander School District)	26.3	34.4	8.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	39.7	35.7	4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (James Williams Middle)	18.3	29	10.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Rhinelander School District)	18.3	28.5	10.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	37.3	37.8	0.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (James Williams Middle)	34.2	23.5	10.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Rhinelander School District)	34.2	23	11.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	36.5	31.8	4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (James Williams Middle)	47.6	53.1	5.5%
8th Grade Social Studies (Rhinelander School District)	47.6	53.3	5.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	52.1	59.2	7.1%
8th Grade Science (James Williams Middle)	51.8	53.7	1.9%
8th Grade Science (Rhinelander School District)	51.8	53.9	2.1%
8th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	54.6	49.4	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	526	472	10.3%
African American	11	8	27.3%
American Indian	15	13	13.3%
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	17	14	17.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	475	424	10.7%
Two or More Races	8	10	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.3%	51.5%	0.8%

Schools Near James Williams Middle

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 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 Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Williams Middle	Public	6-8	915 Acacia Ln	Rhinelander	54501	Oneida County	Rhinelander School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 365-9220	472	38	12.5	52.3%	410 (86.9%)	9 (1.9%)	18 (3.8%)	7 (1.5%)	11 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	48.5	377^th of 641 public middle schools	41.2%		45.2	371^st of 640 public middle schools	42.0%	6	41.5	43.5	49.7	48.7	50.0	55.4	63.7	52.9	$16,787	$530	$16,257
Three Lakes Junior High	Public	7-8	6930 W School St	Three Lakes	54562	Oneida County	Three Lakes School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 546-3321	77	8	10.0	42.9%	73 (94.8%)	2 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	77.5	107^th of 641 public middle schools	83.3%		78.7	93^rd of 640 public middle schools	85.5%	14		62.9	64.1		68.6	71.8	79.5	59.0	$17,590	$704	$16,885
Elcho Middle	Public	6-8	N11268 Antigo St	Elcho	54428	Langlade County	Elcho School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 275-3707	54	5	10.9	59.3%	51 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	54.1	318^th of 641 public middle schools	50.4%		39.6	410^th of 640 public middle schools	35.9%	92	43.8	77.8	58.8	31.3	50.0	56.3	64.7	47.1	$18,236	$843	$17,392
Tomahawk Middle	Public	6-8	1048 E Kings Rd	Tomahawk	54487	Lincoln County	Tomahawk School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 453-5371	263	21	12.4	44.1%	249 (94.7%)	4 (1.5%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	61.4	252^nd of 641 public middle schools	60.7%		45.3	367^th of 640 public middle schools	42.7%	115	48.7	50.6	61.6	40.3	54.2	62.8	73.3	69.8	$13,598	$422	$13,177

James Williams Middle

James Williams Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Rhinelander School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for James Williams Middle

Rank History for all students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Female students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Male students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for Native American students at James Williams Middle

Rank History for White students at James Williams Middle

Enrollment information for James Williams Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James Williams Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio James Williams Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for James Williams Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on James Williams Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near James Williams Middle