Pelican Elementary

Q: Is Pelican Elementary a good school?

Pelican Elementary ranks 713 th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Pelican Elementary is a public elementary school located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 282 students. The school is part of the Rhinelander School District, which is ranked 297 out of 428 school districts in Wisconsin and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Pelican Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Wisconsin elementary schools, with its academic performance generally below the Rhinelander School District and Wisconsin state averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 36.84% of 3rd graders at Pelican Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 37.98% in the Rhinelander School District and 52.07% statewide. The school has also struggled to perform well for certain student subgroups, such as male students and students with special education needs.

Pelican Elementary faces additional challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism, which have increased from 4.3% in the 2018-2019 school year to 10.9% in the 2021-2022 school year. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 52.84% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. While Pelican Elementary has a relatively high per-student spending and a low student-teacher ratio, these resources do not seem to translate into improved academic outcomes when compared to nearby higher-performing schools within the Rhinelander School District, such as Northwoods Community Elementary, Crescent Elementary, and Central Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3350 V Hickey Rd
Rhinelander, WI 54501-8241

(715) 365-9160

District: Rhinelander School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,760

Students who attend Pelican Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	James Williams Middle
High:	Rhinelander High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 282

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.1%

Two or more races:

5.0%

American Indian:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pelican Elementary ranks worse than 67.2% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Rhinelander School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.64. (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 (91.1%), two or more races (5%), American Indian (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pelican Elementary is 12. 2 elementary schools in the Rhinelander School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Pelican Elementary employs 23.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pelican Elementary is $18,760. 2 elementary schools in the Rhinelander School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pelican Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pelican Elementary 713^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Pelican Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Rhinelander School District:

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

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Rank History for Pelican Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pelican Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2005	41.33	447^th	632	29.3%
2021	32.11	777^th	1050	26.0%
2022	47.43	626^th	1067	41.3%
2023	41.89	695^th	1067	34.9%
2024	41.64	713^th	1061	32.8%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pelican Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.21	679^th	746	9.0%
2022	42.60	418^th	748	44.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pelican Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2021	27.22	679^th	847	19.8%
2022	36.50	594^th	859	30.8%
2023	38.12	595^th	871	31.7%
2024	39.29	583^rd	866	32.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pelican Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2021	43.70	623^rd	1004	37.9%
2022	55.38	482^nd	1017	52.6%
2023	49.23	573^rd	1010	43.3%
2024	52.92	553^rd	1011	45.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pelican Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2021	26.42	798^th	1003	20.4%
2022	39.07	689^th	1017	32.3%
2023	35.84	710^th	1011	29.8%
2024	29.91	786^th	1012	22.3%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male 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 Pelican Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	124	n/a	2	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	129
1990	121	0	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	126
1991	166	0	3	0	3	n/a	n/a	172
1992	156	0	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	164
1993	195	1	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	201
1994	190	1	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	193
1995	227	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	231
1996	227	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	231
1997	222	0	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	225
1998	224	2	3	1	4	n/a	n/a	234
1999	223	1	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	230
2000	215	0	3	3	3	n/a	n/a	224
2001	200	0	3	2	2	n/a	n/a	207
2002	195	0	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	201
2003	195	0	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	201
2004	172	0	3	0	2	n/a	n/a	177
2005	175	0	3	0	2	n/a	n/a	180
2006	307	5	2	0	4	n/a	n/a	318
2007	312	4	4	0	8	n/a	n/a	328
2008	275	4	5	1	6	n/a	n/a	291
2009	279	4	4	2	5	n/a	n/a	294
2010	280	2	4	5	6	n/a	n/a	297
2011	279	4	2	6	5	0	5	301
2012	285	3	1	4	9	0	4	306
2013	291	6	2	3	11	0	4	317
2014	307	4	1	2	9	0	2	325
2015	322	8	1	4	8	0	4	347
2016	308	11	2	6	6	0	4	337
2017	306	9	2	8	3	0	5	333
2018	277	10	1	5	5	0	8	306
2019	289	10	0	5	10	0	10	324
2020	297	6	0	6	13	0	10	332
2021	251	3	1	2	8	1	11	277
2022	267	5	0	5	5	0	10	292
2023	257	3	0	2	5	1	14	282

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 Pelican Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	129	11.0	11.7	30.2
1990	126	10.4	12.1	29.4
1991	172	11.2	15.3	14
1992	164	10.1	16.2	22
1993	201	10.4	19.3	18.4
1994	193	10.5	18.4	18.1
1995	231	10.5	22.0	17.7
1996	231	10.5	22.0	17.7
1997	225	11.4	19.7	15.6
1998	234	10.0	23.4	16.7
1999	230	12.0	19.2	24.8
2000	224	12.0	18.7	25.9
2001	207	14.0	14.8	30
2002	201	13.8	14.6	41.3
2003	201	13.8	14.6	41.3
2004	177	11.8	15.0	32.8
2005	180	13.4	13.4	n/a
2006	318	22.6	14.1	n/a
2007	328	22.1	14.8	32.6
2008	291	21.6	13.5	47.4
2009	294	21.7	13.5	45.2
2010	297	21.3	13.9	44.8
2011	301	23.1	12.9	52.8
2012	306	22.1	13.8	52.3
2013	317	23.5	13.4	54.9
2014	325	24.0	13.5	59.7
2015	347	n/a	n/a	58.5
2016	337	22.0	15.3	57.9
2017	333	24.8	13.4	54.4
2018	306	25.4	12.0	49.7
2019	324	26.0	12.4	62.3
2020	332	26.3	12.5	57.8
2021	277	25.1	11.0	60.6
2022	292	23.6	12.3	52.4
2023	282	23.5	12.0	52.8

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 Pelican Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	129	11.0	11.7	30.2
1990	126	10.4	12.1	29.4
1991	172	11.2	15.3	14
1992	164	10.1	16.2	22
1993	201	10.4	19.3	18.4
1994	193	10.5	18.4	18.1
1995	231	10.5	22.0	17.7
1996	231	10.5	22.0	17.7
1997	225	11.4	19.7	15.6
1998	234	10.0	23.4	16.7
1999	230	12.0	19.2	24.8
2000	224	12.0	18.7	25.9
2001	207	14.0	14.8	30
2002	201	13.8	14.6	41.3
2003	201	13.8	14.6	41.3
2004	177	11.8	15.0	32.8
2005	180	13.4	13.4	n/a
2006	318	22.6	14.1	n/a
2007	328	22.1	14.8	32.6
2008	291	21.6	13.5	47.4
2009	294	21.7	13.5	45.2
2010	297	21.3	13.9	44.8
2011	301	23.1	12.9	52.8
2012	306	22.1	13.8	52.3
2013	317	23.5	13.4	54.9
2014	325	24.0	13.5	59.7
2015	347	n/a	n/a	58.5
2016	337	22.0	15.3	57.9
2017	333	24.8	13.4	54.4
2018	306	25.4	12.0	49.7
2019	324	26.0	12.4	62.3
2020	332	26.3	12.5	57.8
2021	277	25.1	11.0	60.6
2022	292	23.6	12.3	52.4
2023	282	23.5	12.0	52.8

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 Pelican Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$494 (3.8%)	$12,617 (96.2%)	$13,112
2020	$388 (3.0%)	$12,704 (97.0%)	$13,092
2021	$723 (3.9%)	$18,037 (96.1%)	$18,760

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pelican 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pelican Elementary)	32.4	33.3	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rhinelander School District)	35.8	31.7	4.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pelican Elementary)	32.4	63	30.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rhinelander School District)	44.5	44.7	0.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	324	282	13%
African American	10	3	70%
American Indian	10	5	50%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	5	2	60%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	289	257	11.1%
Two or More Races	10	14	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	62.3%	52.8%	9.5%

Schools Near Pelican 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
Pelican Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3350 V Hickey Rd	Rhinelander	54501	Oneida County	Rhinelander School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 365-9160	282	24	12.0	52.8%	257 (91.1%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.0%)	41.6	713^th of 1061 public elementary schools	32.8%		41.9	695^th of 1067 public elementary schools	34.9%	18	36.8	56.0	36.8		34.2	60.0	55.3		66.7	52.0	$18,760	$723	$18,037
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	418 N Pelham St	Rhinelander	54501	Oneida County	Rhinelander School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 365-9600	251	21	11.9	65.3%	214 (85.3%)	7 (2.8%)	6 (2.4%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.0%)	54.8	570^th of 1061 public elementary schools	46.3%		58	483^rd of 1067 public elementary schools	54.7%	87	25.0	57.7	45.7		53.6	61.5	60.0		73.1	73.1	$20,755	$763	$19,992
Crescent Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3319 Boyce Dr	Rhinelander	54501	Oneida County	Rhinelander School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 365-9137	376	34	11.2	59.3%	328 (87.2%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.3%)	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.0%)	30.4	809^th of 1061 public elementary schools	23.8%		36.9	746^th of 1067 public elementary schools	30.1%	63	42.3	35.6	35.0		42.3	40.7	43.6		47.5	49.2	$18,677	$758	$17,920
Sugar Camp Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4066 Camp Four Rd	Rhinelander	54501	Oneida County	Three Lakes School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 272-1105	119	9	12.9	28.6%	117 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78.1	184^th of 1061 public elementary schools	82.7%		81.3	142^nd of 1067 public elementary schools	86.7%	42	47.4	80.0	78.6	75.0	57.9	100.0	71.4	83.3	86.7	66.7	$18,851	$900	$17,950
Northwoods Community Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9086 County Road K	Harshaw	54529	Oneida County	Rhinelander School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 282-8200	97	7	13.1	36.1%	90 (92.8%)	2 (2.1%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	78.4	181^st of 1061 public elementary schools	82.9%		66.2	358^th of 1067 public elementary schools	66.4%	177	50.0	75.0	66.7		80.0	66.7	88.9		83.3	66.7	$21,645	$845	$20,800
Three Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6930 W School St	Three Lakes	54562	Oneida County	Three Lakes School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 546-3323	161	12	13.3	49.1%	157 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	63.4	429^th of 1061 public elementary schools	59.6%		68.9	318^th of 1067 public elementary schools	70.2%	111	68.4	23.1	60.0	76.5	79.0	46.2	44.0	76.5	69.2	61.5	$16,224	$1,092	$15,131
Elcho Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	N11268 Antigo St	Elcho	54428	Langlade County	Elcho School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 275-3707	126	10	13.0	47.6%	115 (91.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	62.5	448^th of 1061 public elementary schools	57.8%		32.3	794^th of 1067 public elementary schools	25.6%	346	55.6	76.5	64.3		44.4	64.7	14.3		82.4	70.6	$18,069	$837	$17,231
Tomahawk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1048 E Kings Rd	Tomahawk	54487	Lincoln County	Tomahawk School District	No	No	No	Yes	(715) 453-2126	554	42	13.3	48.7%	515 (93.0%)	4 (0.7%)	10 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.9%)	58.6	506^th of 1061 public elementary schools	52.3%		57.6	486^th of 1067 public elementary schools	54.5%	20	53.5	54.4	67.1		60.6	54.4	67.5		59.5	50.6	$14,432	$866	$13,566

Frequently Asked Questions about Pelican Elementary

How many students attend Pelican Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 282 students attended Pelican Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Pelican Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pelican Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : James Williams Middle
High : Rhinelander High

What is the racial makeup of Pelican Elementary?

Students at Pelican Elementary are 91% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% African American.

What district is Pelican Elementary in?

Rhinelander School District

Is Pelican Elementary a good school?

Pelican Elementary ranks 713^th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.