Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Summary:

Hawthorn Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving 232 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Wausau School District, which is ranked 241 out of 428 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hawthorn Hills faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.9% to 35.4% over the past few years, significantly higher than the 8.3% to 27.2% range seen in other Wausau schools. Academically, Hawthorn Hills generally underperforms the district and state averages in proficiency rates on the Forward Exam, with its 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate at 57.69% compared to the district's 57.09% and the state's 52.07%. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with male and Hispanic students performing relatively better than Asian, multi-racial, and low socioeconomic status students.

Interestingly, the nearby Rib Mountain Elementary and Riverview Elementary schools generally outperform Hawthorn Hills on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism. Rib Mountain, in particular, is a high-performing school, ranking in the top 15% of Wisconsin elementary schools. The high spending per student at Hawthorn Hills ($17,049 in 2020-2021) compared to the other Wausau schools ($11,739 to $16,556) also raises questions about the efficient use of resources and the potential for collaboration with higher-performing schools to address the challenges facing Hawthorn Hills.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1600 Kickbusch St
       Wausau, WI  54403-1600


(715) 261-0045

District: Wausau School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
698th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,049 Help


Students who attend Hawthorn Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Horace Mann Middle
High:    East High

Student/teacher ratio:  10.9 Help
Number of students:  198

Racial breakdown:

White:
51.5%
Asian:
16.2%
Two or more races:
14.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  71.2% Help


 See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

 Compare Hawthorn Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Hawthorn Hills Elementary ranks worse than 65.8% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks 8th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Wausau School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.88. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Student population at Hawthorn Hills Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (51.5%), Asian (16.2%), two or more races (14.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 71.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hawthorn Hills Elementary is 10.9, which is the 4th best among 14 elementary schools in the Wausau School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Hawthorn Hills Elementary employs 18.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hawthorn Hills Elementary is $17,049, which is the 2nd highest among 14 elementary schools in the Wausau School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hawthorn Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Hawthorn Hills Elementary 698th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Hawthorn Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Wausau School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wausau School District 241st of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Hawthorn Hills Elementary?

Rank History for Hawthorn Hills Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 40.23 454th 633 28.3%
2005 25.02 519th 632 17.9%
2007 35.84 534th 689 22.5%
2008 18.85 913th 1021 10.6%
2009 18.65 927th 1030 10.0%
2010 25.62 892nd 1045 14.6%
2011 26.65 897th 1046 14.2%
2012 29.29 883rd 1045 15.5%
2013 27.00 882nd 1053 16.2%
2014 26.01 889th 1061 16.2%
2015 43.94 721st 1076 33.0%
2016 30.21 824th 1075 23.3%
2017 28.89 833rd 1071 22.2%
2018 24.03 846th 1025 17.5%
2019 8.35 948th 1037 8.6%
2021 21.29 876th 1050 16.6%
2022 45.06 659th 1067 38.2%
2023 38.78 723rd 1067 32.2%
2024 42.88 698th 1061 34.2%
See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 3.55 74th 76 2.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.88 181st 287 36.9%
2019 43.44 152nd 275 44.7%
2021 60.53 56th 222 74.8%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.13 584th 721 19.0%
2019 26.38 588th 742 20.8%
2021 18.85 668th 746 10.5%
2022 32.76 526th 748 29.7%
2023 45.65 398th 770 48.3%
2024 38.13 489th 790 38.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.53 787th 854 7.8%
2019 7.38 858th 874 1.8%
2021 24.14 711th 847 16.1%
2023 33.75 644th 871 26.1%
2024 47.22 488th 866 43.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.66 780th 997 21.8%
2019 16.43 874th 1002 12.8%
2021 23.57 825th 1004 17.8%
2022 37.72 710th 1017 30.2%
2023 34.48 737th 1010 27.0%
2024 45.30 652nd 1011 35.5%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.79 846th 997 15.1%
2019 7.96 927th 1002 7.5%
2021 23.47 821st 1003 18.1%
2022 53.97 501st 1017 50.7%
2023 45.25 625th 1011 38.2%
2024 38.53 692nd 1012 31.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.79 84th 107 21.5%
2019 19.73 100th 122 18.0%
2021 26.68 71st 106 33.0%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 69.60 67th 296 77.4%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.45 590th 686 14.0%
2019 5.82 700th 718 2.5%
2021 15.00 643rd 699 8.0%
2022 38.06 475th 704 32.5%
2023 33.55 539th 715 24.6%
2024 39.59 484th 727 33.4%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary 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.

Hawthorn Hills Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

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50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Open Quote Google Review that Hawthorne Hills Elementary keeps on deleting from their online listing because evidently they don't want parents to see it.

REPOSTED PARENT FYI: This school deletes any negative reviews (completely shady, smh.) hope that doesn't mean they do other underhanded tactics just to keep their image crystal, lol) ...no matter, I will keep reposting here and now on other websites that review schools. Actions have consequences- that's basic "elementary" 101 and so now they get 1 star. This deleting also proves many points I make below of not trusting the use of home network passwords on their school tablets.

Original 1/10/2022 Review:
This school is for the most part decent. The BIGGEST ISSUE I have is that the CoVid lock downs and homeschooling have been over for over a year now and I'm sure almost all of the parents have gone back to either full time employment or other obligations during the regular school day, which renders them unavailable. This school however when they call a "snow day" some how thinks that it is an acceptable option to send the kids home with school tablets to log in to basically attend school. This is an absolute joke in my opinion and an obvious way used by the teachers to not have to attend a missed day later on in the year. I get it that teachers may want to work less, but teachers already get 3 months off and honestly this method is a very intrusive ideaology to most parents, to their homes and to their internet security.

On that to send home a school tablet to be logged into the internet using the personal network opens too many doors should one at the school want to abuse it, they could and have access to everything on your network. Bank accounts, personal photos, etc. open to a public computer, not to mention being able to view our homes and be judgemental at will, etc. Clean house, perfect home environment or not, this is just something I don't buy into and will not partake in.

FYI: SNOW DAYS = NO SCHOOL (it is not an excuse not to work and then push that obligation onto the parents that already work full time jobs to do your job during school hours. That's called home schooling and unlike your public schooling establisment that gets government funding from our tax dollars, we don't get compensated. I love my child and want the best for them and do already have involvement in their education after school hours, but this "laziness" and intrusiveness is just TOO MUCH. Maybe the State of Wisconsin needs to come in to audit what is going on here because it seems Hawthorne is making up unorthodox methods as they go? Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, March 18, 2011

Open Quote I love this school. It has been great that my daughter attends here. She 6 yrs old and she is reading on her own. She is counting by 10's, 5's and is the best in her class. We moved from Rhinelander 3 months ago and she wasn't even near this level. The staff is very friendly. I am very proud that my daughter is a student at this school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Hawthorn Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 296 n/a 75 n/a 2 n/a n/a 0 373
1990 304 3 120 1 1 n/a n/a 0 429
1991 313 4 128 0 4 n/a n/a 0 449
1992 298 1 148 0 3 n/a n/a 0 450
1993 311 3 163 2 1 n/a n/a 0 480
1994 257 2 104 1 1 n/a n/a 0 365
1995 232 1 98 4 2 n/a n/a 0 337
1996 232 1 98 4 2 n/a n/a 0 337
1997 222 2 106 1 5 n/a n/a 0 336
1998 185 2 109 1 5 n/a n/a 0 302
1999 167 2 87 1 5 n/a n/a 0 262
2000 140 4 81 2 2 n/a n/a 0 229
2001 133 3 88 4 0 n/a n/a 0 228
2002 142 8 78 3 10 n/a n/a 0 241
2003 142 8 78 3 10 n/a n/a 0 241
2004 141 8 81 3 7 n/a n/a 0 240
2005 143 9 81 6 13 n/a n/a 0 252
2006 141 8 79 9 12 n/a n/a 0 249
2007 148 17 69 10 7 n/a n/a 0 251
2008 148 18 68 10 6 n/a n/a 0 250
2009 151 24 76 10 11 n/a n/a 0 272
2010 145 21 70 14 11 n/a n/a 0 261
2011 136 6 66 22 5 0 22 0 257
2012 136 11 71 29 4 1 21 0 273
2013 131 8 59 24 4 1 9 0 236
2014 139 8 55 24 1 0 16 0 243
2015 140 13 58 28 5 0 16 0 260
2016 129 18 64 15 2 0 19 0 247
2017 139 21 71 18 1 0 25 0 275
2018 166 19 65 22 1 0 25 0 298
2019 132 23 66 36 0 0 21 0 278
2020 130 19 70 33 1 0 28 0 281
2021 115 11 67 26 0 0 26 0 245
2022 132 13 37 41 0 0 22 0 245
2023 118 13 40 33 0 0 28 0 232
2024 102 11 32 25 0 0 28 0 198

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 Hawthorn Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 373 20.0 18.6 31.6
1990 429 21.0 20.4 27.5
1991 449 22.8 19.6 14.7
1992 450 25.8 17.4 16.9
1993 480 31.1 15.4 22.7
1994 365 25.2 14.5 22.2
1995 337 25.5 13.2 25.8
1996 337 25.5 13.2 25.8
1997 336 26.9 12.5 26.2
1998 302 22.0 13.7 27.8
1999 262 21.5 12.2 34.7
2000 229 23.4 9.8 32.3
2001 228 23.4 9.7 32.5
2002 241 21.9 11.0 68.9
2003 241 21.9 11.0 68.9
2004 240 21.4 11.2 68.8
2005 252 22.6 11.2 n/a
2006 249 22.6 11.0 n/a
2007 251 24.3 10.3 64.1
2008 250 23.6 10.6 61.6
2009 272 22.8 11.9 66.9
2010 261 23.6 11.0 67.4
2011 257 23.1 11.1 68.9
2012 273 22.0 12.4 72.9
2013 236 24.0 9.7 75.8
2014 243 23.7 10.2 71.2
2015 260 n/a n/a 70
2016 247 21.0 11.7 66.8
2017 275 24.4 11.2 63.3
2018 298 23.9 12.4 59.4
2019 278 23.2 11.9 70.5
2020 281 22.7 12.3 64.4
2021 245 21.7 11.2 72.2
2022 245 23.7 10.3 66.5
2023 232 20.9 11.0 62.9
2024 198 18.1 10.9 71.2

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 Hawthorn Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 373 20.0 18.6 31.6
1990 429 21.0 20.4 27.5
1991 449 22.8 19.6 14.7
1992 450 25.8 17.4 16.9
1993 480 31.1 15.4 22.7
1994 365 25.2 14.5 22.2
1995 337 25.5 13.2 25.8
1996 337 25.5 13.2 25.8
1997 336 26.9 12.5 26.2
1998 302 22.0 13.7 27.8
1999 262 21.5 12.2 34.7
2000 229 23.4 9.8 32.3
2001 228 23.4 9.7 32.5
2002 241 21.9 11.0 68.9
2003 241 21.9 11.0 68.9
2004 240 21.4 11.2 68.8
2005 252 22.6 11.2 n/a
2006 249 22.6 11.0 n/a
2007 251 24.3 10.3 64.1
2008 250 23.6 10.6 61.6
2009 272 22.8 11.9 66.9
2010 261 23.6 11.0 67.4
2011 257 23.1 11.1 68.9
2012 273 22.0 12.4 72.9
2013 236 24.0 9.7 75.8
2014 243 23.7 10.2 71.2
2015 260 n/a n/a 70
2016 247 21.0 11.7 66.8
2017 275 24.4 11.2 63.3
2018 298 23.9 12.4 59.4
2019 278 23.2 11.9 70.5
2020 281 22.7 12.3 64.4
2021 245 21.7 11.2 72.2
2022 245 23.7 10.3 66.5
2023 232 20.9 11.0 62.9
2024 198 18.1 10.9 71.2

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 Hawthorn Hills Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,288 (8.8%) $13,382 (91.2%) $14,670
2020 $1,105 (8.0%) $12,740 (92.0%) $13,846
2021 $1,559 (9.1%) $15,491 (90.9%) $17,049

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hawthorn Hills 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 948th of 1037 Elementary schoolsRanks 723rd of 1067 Elementary schools
 23.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)21.138.1
 17.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wausau School District)37.440.2
 2.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)39.537.9
 1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)23.776.2
 52.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wausau School District)47.353.6
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)50.548.8
 1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)12.940.9
 28%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wausau School District)43.646.4
 2.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)43.945.8
 1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)9.718.2
 8.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wausau School District)36.548.7
 12.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)46.246.5
 0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)25.852.4
 26.6%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wausau School District)55.959
 3.1%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)53.459.7
 6.4%
4th Grade Science (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)22.647.6
 25%
   4th Grade Science (Wausau School District)53.653.7
 0.1%
   4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)53.952.1
 1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)11.827.6
 15.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wausau School District)39.243.5
 4.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)40.939.2
 1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hawthorn Hills Elementary)17.717.2
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wausau School District)46.149.5
 3.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)47.848.4
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students278232
 16.5%
African American2313
 43.5%
American Indian00
Asian6640
 39.4%
Hispanic3633
 8.3%
Pacific Islander00
White132118
 10.6%
Two or More Races2128
 33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients70.5%62.9%
 7.6%


Schools Near Hawthorn Hills Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Hawthorn Hills Elementary

Students who attend Hawthorn Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horace Mann Middle
High : East High

Hawthorn Hills Elementary ranks 698th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Hawthorn Hills Elementary are 52% White, 16% Asian, 14% Two or more races, 13% Hispanic, 6% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 198 students attended Hawthorn Hills Elementary.


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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.





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