Is Sparta High a good school?

Sparta High ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Wisconsin high schools.

How many students attend Sparta High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 837 students attended Sparta High.

What is the racial makeup of Sparta High?

Students at Sparta High are 78% White, 17% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Sparta High?

Sparta High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Herrman Elementary Elementary : Southside Early Learning Center Middle : Sparta Meadowview Middle

Sparta High

Summary:

Sparta High is a public high school located in Sparta, Wisconsin, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 837 students. The school is part of the Sparta Area School District, which is ranked 348 out of 428 districts in Wisconsin and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sparta High has consistently maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 95.6% to 97.5% over the past five years, which are above the state average. However, the school's test scores in subjects like Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally below the state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 13.04% to 38.57% in 2023-2024. Sparta High's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and White students tending to perform better than their peers in the Special Education and Low Socio-Economic Status subgroups. The school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 246 out of 466 Wisconsin high schools in 2014-2015 to a low of 388 out of 415 in 2022-2023, suggesting a need for improvement in the school's overall performance.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Cashton Middle/High and West Salem High, Sparta High generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores and graduation rates. The significant performance gaps between different student subgroups at Sparta High, as well as the fluctuating chronic absenteeism rates, indicate a need to address equity and provide targeted support for these groups. Additionally, the low ranking and 1-star rating of the Sparta Area School District suggest that the district as a whole may face challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

506 N Black River St
Sparta, WI 54656-1548

(608) 366-3504

District: Sparta Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
365^th of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,957

Feeder schools for Sparta High:

Elementary:	Herrman Elementary
	Southside Early Learning Center
Middle:	Sparta Meadowview Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 837

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.5%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.9%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Sparta High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sparta High ranks worse than 84.7% of high schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.87. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sparta 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 (77.5%), Hispanic (17.3%), two or more races (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sparta High is 14. (See more...)

Compare Sparta High employs 59.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sparta High is $11,957.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sparta High:

SchoolDigger ranks Sparta High 365^th of 431 Wisconsin public high schools. (See Sparta 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Sparta Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Sparta Area School District 348^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Sparta High?

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Rank History for Sparta High

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Rank History for all students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	52.05	181^st	275	34.2%
2005	59.67	146^th	287	49.1%
2006	67.99	105^th	292	64.0%
2007	61.18	159^th	281	43.4%
2008	58.33	227^th	437	48.1%
2009	61.54	193^rd	438	55.9%
2010	63.66	192^nd	450	57.3%
2011	62.00	204^th	445	54.2%
2012	50.86	306^th	452	32.3%
2013	49.37	290^th	457	36.5%
2014	53.88	252^nd	462	45.5%
2015	58.31	246^th	466	47.2%
2016	17.49	371^st	408	9.1%
2017	32.30	285^th	410	30.5%
2018	27.92	330^th	410	19.5%
2019	27.59	324^th	400	19.0%
2021	20.98	329^th	390	15.6%
2022	23.49	329^th	391	15.9%
2023	14.62	388^th	415	6.5%
2024	22.87	365^th	431	15.3%

See the entire list of Wisconsin High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.36	77^th	95	18.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	27.82	206^th	255	19.2%
2019	28.06	197^th	251	21.5%
2021	24.57	188^th	226	16.8%
2022	27.55	204^th	250	18.4%
2023	14.54	257^th	271	5.2%
2024	16.37	288^th	326	11.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	35.20	257^th	355	27.6%
2019	23.74	286^th	343	16.6%
2021	21.44	276^th	332	16.9%
2022	24.01	292^nd	343	14.9%
2023	16.86	297^th	329	9.7%
2024	23.05	295^th	353	16.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	20.46	331^st	373	11.3%
2019	27.43	280^th	354	20.9%
2021	17.73	304^th	334	9.0%
2022	21.22	304^th	347	12.4%
2023	11.70	340^th	359	5.3%
2024	19.62	326^th	365	10.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2021	17.93	62^nd	68	8.8%
2022	16.21	76^th	86	11.6%
2024	38.53	75^th	119	37.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Sparta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	19.56	228^th	261	12.6%
2019	22.03	226^th	266	15.0%
2021	17.78	238^th	266	10.5%
2022	18.99	243^rd	269	9.7%
2023	11.83	256^th	271	5.5%
2024	14.38	275^th	300	8.3%

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 Sparta High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	612	3	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	622
1990	570	6	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	582
1991	797	5	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	814
1992	802	9	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	823
1993	796	10	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	819
1994	782	6	9	6	2	n/a	n/a	805
1995	886	5	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	899
1996	886	5	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	899
1997	910	7	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	930
1998	927	6	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	943
1999	918	4	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	935
2000	954	3	6	8	1	n/a	n/a	972
2001	961	4	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	974
2002	892	4	5	12	1	n/a	n/a	914
2003	892	4	5	12	1	n/a	n/a	914
2004	818	6	12	15	2	n/a	n/a	853
2005	789	9	10	21	3	n/a	n/a	832
2006	793	7	9	18	3	n/a	n/a	830
2007	770	10	8	17	4	n/a	n/a	809
2008	775	16	5	22	7	n/a	n/a	825
2009	696	17	6	23	7	n/a	n/a	749
2010	688	19	5	25	5	n/a	n/a	742
2011	639	19	1	37	3	0	5	704
2012	634	12	6	46	3	1	8	710
2013	608	13	6	40	1	1	7	676
2014	620	9	8	48	3	1	11	700
2015	626	13	7	55	5	2	13	721
2016	645	12	9	62	4	4	10	746
2017	618	14	8	67	7	2	12	728
2018	649	15	8	82	9	4	17	784
2019	622	10	7	97	9	2	16	763
2020	626	9	6	101	12	1	15	770
2021	626	6	7	128	11	3	22	803
2022	654	12	5	139	10	2	18	840
2023	649	11	6	145	6	1	19	837

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 Sparta High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	622	34.8	17.8	9
1990	582	40.0	14.5	7.9
1991	814	51.6	15.7	11.9
1992	823	53.6	15.3	19.2
1993	819	56.3	14.5	20.4
1994	805	54.0	14.9	20.1
1995	899	54.8	16.4	19.9
1996	899	54.8	16.4	19.9
1997	930	56.1	16.6	20.4
1998	943	61.3	15.4	23.9
1999	935	62.6	14.9	31.7
2000	972	64.4	15.1	30.6
2001	974	64.0	15.2	31.8
2002	914	61.8	14.8	22.6
2003	914	61.8	14.8	22.6
2004	853	59.5	14.3	19.6
2005	832	59.0	14.1	n/a
2006	830	58.3	14.2	n/a
2007	809	57.0	14.2	44
2008	825	58.8	14.0	32.6
2009	749	57.0	13.1	37.5
2010	742	52.2	14.1	36.4
2011	704	49.4	14.2	36.5
2012	710	47.2	15.0	36.9
2013	676	47.4	14.2	39.5
2014	700	46.3	15.1	40.3
2015	721	n/a	n/a	39.5
2016	746	48.0	15.5	40.6
2017	728	51.6	14.0	35.7
2018	784	53.5	14.6	36.6
2019	763	50.0	15.2	38.1
2020	770	51.0	15.0	37.8
2021	803	53.7	14.9	37.9
2022	840	59.2	14.1	38
2023	837	59.7	14.0	41.9

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 Sparta High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	622	34.8	17.8	9
1990	582	40.0	14.5	7.9
1991	814	51.6	15.7	11.9
1992	823	53.6	15.3	19.2
1993	819	56.3	14.5	20.4
1994	805	54.0	14.9	20.1
1995	899	54.8	16.4	19.9
1996	899	54.8	16.4	19.9
1997	930	56.1	16.6	20.4
1998	943	61.3	15.4	23.9
1999	935	62.6	14.9	31.7
2000	972	64.4	15.1	30.6
2001	974	64.0	15.2	31.8
2002	914	61.8	14.8	22.6
2003	914	61.8	14.8	22.6
2004	853	59.5	14.3	19.6
2005	832	59.0	14.1	n/a
2006	830	58.3	14.2	n/a
2007	809	57.0	14.2	44
2008	825	58.8	14.0	32.6
2009	749	57.0	13.1	37.5
2010	742	52.2	14.1	36.4
2011	704	49.4	14.2	36.5
2012	710	47.2	15.0	36.9
2013	676	47.4	14.2	39.5
2014	700	46.3	15.1	40.3
2015	721	n/a	n/a	39.5
2016	746	48.0	15.5	40.6
2017	728	51.6	14.0	35.7
2018	784	53.5	14.6	36.6
2019	763	50.0	15.2	38.1
2020	770	51.0	15.0	37.8
2021	803	53.7	14.9	37.9
2022	840	59.2	14.1	38
2023	837	59.7	14.0	41.9

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 Sparta High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$333 (2.9%)	$11,130 (97.1%)	$11,464
2020	$385 (3.2%)	$11,499 (96.8%)	$11,884
2021	$741 (6.2%)	$11,216 (93.8%)	$11,957

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sparta 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 324^th of 400 High schools	Ranks 388^th of 415 High schools	12.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Social Studies (Sparta High)	26.3	31.2	4.9%
10th Grade Social Studies (Sparta Area School District)	27	30.1	3%
10th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	45.9	47.2	1.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta High)	35.6	23	12.7%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sparta Area School District)	33.7	22	11.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	38.8	41.4	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Sparta High)	26.9	13	13.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Sparta Area School District)	25	12.1	12.9%
10th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	30.8	29.4	1.3%
10th Grade Science (Sparta High)	27.5	23	4.5%
10th Grade Science (Sparta Area School District)	25.6	22	3.6%
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	763	837	9.7%
African American	10	11	10%
American Indian	9	6	33.3%
Asian	7	6	14.3%
Hispanic	97	145	49.5%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	622	649	4.3%
Two or More Races	16	19	18.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.1%	41.9%	3.8%

Schools Near Sparta 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
Sparta High	Public	9-12	506 N Black River St	Sparta	54656	Monroe County	Sparta Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 366-3504	837	60	14.0	41.9%	649 (77.5%)	11 (1.3%)	145 (17.3%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.3%)	22.9	365^th of 431 public high schools	15.3%		14.6	388^th of 415 public high schools	6.5%	23	25.3	29.3	36.2								38.6		$11,957	$741	$11,216
Sparta Alternative Independent Learning School	Public, Charter	9-12	900 East Montgomery St	Sparta	54656	Monroe County	Sparta Area School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(608) 366-3400	47	2	23.2	74.5%	29 (61.7%)	1 (2.1%)	14 (29.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$13,691	$1,051	$12,640
Bangor Middle/High	Public	6-12	700 10th Ave S	Bangor	54614	La Crosse County	Bangor School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 486-2331	346	29	12.0	26.3%	313 (90.5%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.2%)	7 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	45.3	250^th of 431 public high schools	42.0%		61.6	141^st of 415 public high schools	66.0%	109	48.2	46.4	42.9	52.8	26.8	64.0	58.3	48.8	58.0	68.0	30.4	64.0	$12,656	$1,088	$11,568
West Salem High	Public	9-12	490 N Mark St	West Salem	54669	La Crosse County	West Salem School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 786-1220	605	45	13.5	18.2%	549 (90.7%)	3 (0.5%)	23 (3.8%)	9 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.0%)	54.9	189^th of 431 public high schools	56.1%		58.8	158^th of 415 public high schools	61.9%	31	39.6	44.7	49.7								57.6		$13,361	$549	$12,812
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
Cashton Middle/High	Public	6-12	540 Coe St	Cashton	54619	Monroe County	Cashton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 654-5131	329	28	11.5	33.1%	288 (87.5%)	3 (0.9%)	36 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	46.9	243^rd of 431 public high schools	43.6%		50.9	196^th of 415 public high schools	52.8%	47		36.7	40.8	47.9	66.7	46.2	52.1	71.4	35.9	59.0	55.8	43.6	$11,807	$1,120	$10,687
Tomah High	Public	9-12	901 Lincoln Ave	Tomah	54660	Monroe County	Tomah Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 374-7358	868	62	14.0	40.8%	758 (87.3%)	13 (1.5%)	27 (3.1%)	8 (0.9%)	21 (2.4%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.6%)	38	292^nd of 431 public high schools	32.3%		23.5	348^th of 415 public high schools	16.1%	56	38.8	37.2	45.2								39.0		$11,981	$801	$11,180
Brookwood High	Public	7-12	28861 Highway 131 N	Ontario	54651	Vernon County	Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 337-4401	266	21	12.6	56.8%	206 (77.4%)	1 (0.4%)	54 (20.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	28.5	334^th of 431 public high schools	22.5%					(n/a)	18.2	38.6	29.6		52.4	27.8		51.2	50.0	55.6	50.0	50.0	$15,221	$779	$14,441

Sparta High

Sparta High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Sparta Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Sparta High

Rank History for all students at Sparta High

Rank History for Special Education students at Sparta High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sparta High

Rank History for Female students at Sparta High

Rank History for Male students at Sparta High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sparta High

Rank History for White students at Sparta High

Enrollment information for Sparta High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sparta High

Student/Teacher Ratio Sparta High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sparta High

Impact of COVID-19 on Sparta High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sparta High

Sparta High

Sparta Alternative Independent Learning School

Bangor Middle/High

West Salem High

Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High

Cashton Middle/High

Tomah High

Brookwood High

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