Is West Salem High a good school?

West Salem High ranks 189 th of 431 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Salem High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 605 students attended West Salem High.

What is the racial makeup of West Salem High?

Students at West Salem High are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into West Salem High?

West Salem High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : West Salem Elementary Middle : West Salem Middle

West Salem High

Summary:

West Salem High is a public high school serving 605 students in grades 9-12 in West Salem, Wisconsin, which is part of the West Salem School District. This high-performing school consistently maintains a 100% four-year graduation rate, significantly higher than the state average, and has very low dropout rates ranging from 0.0% to 0.9% over the past five years.

West Salem High students excel on standardized tests, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in subjects like Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to the state and district averages. While the school has seen a recent increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching 7.1% in 2022-2023, it is still lower than the state average and some nearby schools. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 18.18% to 22.97% over the past three years.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau High and Onalaska High, West Salem High generally outperforms its peers in metrics like graduation rates, test scores, and chronic absenteeism. However, the school's ranking for specific student subgroups, such as female students and low socioeconomic status students, has been lower than the overall school ranking in recent years, suggesting potential areas for improvement to ensure equitable outcomes across all demographics.

Detail:

Public 9-12

490 N Mark St
West Salem, WI 54669-1224

(608) 786-1220

District: West Salem School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
189^th of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,361

Feeder schools for West Salem High:

Elementary:	West Salem Elementary
Middle:	West Salem Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 605

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.7%

Hispanic:

3.8%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.2%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare West Salem High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Salem High ranks better than 56.1% of high schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.92. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of West Salem 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 (90.7%), Hispanic (3.8%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Salem High is 13.5. (See more...)

Compare West Salem High employs 44.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Salem High is $13,361.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Salem High:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem High 189^th of 431 Wisconsin public high schools. (See West Salem 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:

West Salem School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem School District 108^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for West Salem High?

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Rank History for West Salem High

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Rank History for all students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2004	64.09	114^th	275	58.5%
2005	77.34	48^th	287	83.3%
2006	66.45	113^th	292	61.3%
2008	62.58	184^th	437	57.9%
2009	75.38	73^rd	438	83.3%
2010	67.07	158^th	450	64.9%
2011	46.88	331^st	445	25.6%
2012	76.01	68^th	452	85.0%
2013	52.90	266^th	457	41.8%
2014	73.17	105^th	462	77.3%
2015	73.14	85^th	466	81.8%
2016	59.52	146^th	408	64.2%
2017	64.25	121^st	410	70.5%
2018	75.11	71^st	410	82.7%
2019	66.34	108^th	400	73.0%
2021	69.41	94^th	390	75.9%
2022	66.28	113^th	391	71.1%
2023	58.76	158^th	415	61.9%
2024	54.92	189^th	431	56.1%

See the entire list of Wisconsin High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	51.03	42^nd	95	55.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	74.01	39^th	255	84.7%
2022	65.27	51^st	250	79.6%
2023	32.51	206^th	271	24.0%
2024	36.40	223^rd	326	31.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	64.13	109^th	355	69.3%
2019	50.73	171^st	343	50.1%
2021	74.26	70^th	332	78.9%
2022	76.11	56^th	343	83.7%
2023	56.49	141^st	329	57.1%
2024	40.67	234^th	353	33.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	76.88	62^nd	373	83.4%
2019	73.29	74^th	354	79.1%
2021	53.79	143^rd	334	57.2%
2022	52.43	151^st	347	56.5%
2023	60.14	119^th	359	66.9%
2024	63.02	118^th	365	67.7%

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

Rank History for White students at West Salem High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	68.75	66^th	261	74.7%
2019	56.19	97^th	266	63.5%
2021	61.08	82^nd	266	69.2%
2022	53.81	107^th	269	60.2%
2023	49.57	128^th	271	52.8%
2024	43.19	171^st	300	43.0%

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 West Salem High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	356	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	360
1990	330	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	334
1991	327	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	331
1992	357	2	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	364
1993	348	1	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	351
1994	361	2	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	366
1995	433	0	2	0	3	n/a	n/a	438
1996	433	0	2	0	3	n/a	n/a	438
1997	472	1	5	3	4	n/a	n/a	485
1998	487	2	8	1	4	n/a	n/a	502
1999	483	3	9	2	5	n/a	n/a	502
2000	480	2	5	3	5	n/a	n/a	495
2001	467	1	9	1	2	n/a	n/a	480
2002	490	3	8	4	6	n/a	n/a	511
2003	490	3	8	4	6	n/a	n/a	511
2004	497	5	10	2	6	n/a	n/a	520
2005	500	5	9	4	4	n/a	n/a	522
2006	522	3	7	3	3	n/a	n/a	538
2007	517	4	8	3	1	n/a	n/a	533
2008	519	5	7	3	1	n/a	n/a	535
2009	541	3	6	4	2	n/a	n/a	556
2010	519	6	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	538
2011	531	7	6	6	4	0	0	554
2012	518	8	8	6	5	0	1	546
2013	502	9	11	10	3	0	4	539
2014	526	14	12	13	2	0	5	572
2015	522	8	10	17	2	0	6	565
2016	503	6	10	14	3	0	5	541
2017	504	6	4	16	2	0	11	543
2018	480	3	2	11	1	0	12	509
2019	470	5	5	9	1	0	7	497
2020	489	4	8	14	1	0	10	526
2021	500	3	8	17	1	0	13	542
2022	541	2	11	20	1	0	17	592
2023	549	3	9	23	2	1	18	605

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 West Salem High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	360	26.9	13.3	6.9
1990	334	28.9	11.5	5.4
1991	331	28.9	11.4	7.3
1992	364	25.6	14.2	11.3
1993	351	26.4	13.3	10.3
1994	366	26.3	13.9	9.6
1995	438	27.6	15.9	8.9
1996	438	27.6	15.9	8.9
1997	485	31.2	15.5	10.5
1998	502	32.5	15.4	11.8
1999	502	33.4	15.0	18.1
2000	495	33.3	14.9	15.8
2001	480	33.9	14.2	18.5
2002	511	35.9	14.2	16.8
2003	511	35.9	14.2	16.8
2004	520	37.6	13.8	15.4
2005	522	37.5	13.9	n/a
2006	538	37.8	14.2	n/a
2007	533	35.7	14.9	14.3
2008	535	35.5	15.1	11.6
2009	556	35.9	15.5	15.5
2010	538	35.7	15.0	17.8
2011	554	36.4	15.1	20.2
2012	546	31.9	17.0	20.3
2013	539	36.7	14.6	23.2
2014	572	38.3	14.9	24.7
2015	565	n/a	n/a	22.3
2016	541	37.0	14.6	19.8
2017	543	36.1	15.0	18
2018	509	35.8	14.1	19.6
2019	497	37.0	13.4	20.9
2020	526	35.6	14.7	20.3
2021	542	39.3	13.7	22.3
2022	592	42.6	13.8	23
2023	605	44.7	13.5	18.2

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 West Salem High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	360	26.9	13.3	6.9
1990	334	28.9	11.5	5.4
1991	331	28.9	11.4	7.3
1992	364	25.6	14.2	11.3
1993	351	26.4	13.3	10.3
1994	366	26.3	13.9	9.6
1995	438	27.6	15.9	8.9
1996	438	27.6	15.9	8.9
1997	485	31.2	15.5	10.5
1998	502	32.5	15.4	11.8
1999	502	33.4	15.0	18.1
2000	495	33.3	14.9	15.8
2001	480	33.9	14.2	18.5
2002	511	35.9	14.2	16.8
2003	511	35.9	14.2	16.8
2004	520	37.6	13.8	15.4
2005	522	37.5	13.9	n/a
2006	538	37.8	14.2	n/a
2007	533	35.7	14.9	14.3
2008	535	35.5	15.1	11.6
2009	556	35.9	15.5	15.5
2010	538	35.7	15.0	17.8
2011	554	36.4	15.1	20.2
2012	546	31.9	17.0	20.3
2013	539	36.7	14.6	23.2
2014	572	38.3	14.9	24.7
2015	565	n/a	n/a	22.3
2016	541	37.0	14.6	19.8
2017	543	36.1	15.0	18
2018	509	35.8	14.1	19.6
2019	497	37.0	13.4	20.9
2020	526	35.6	14.7	20.3
2021	542	39.3	13.7	22.3
2022	592	42.6	13.8	23
2023	605	44.7	13.5	18.2

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 West Salem High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$206 (1.6%)	$12,717 (98.4%)	$12,923
2020	$172 (1.3%)	$12,799 (98.7%)	$12,970
2021	$549 (4.1%)	$12,812 (95.9%)	$13,361

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Salem 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 108^th of 400 High schools	Ranks 158^th of 415 High schools	11.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Social Studies (West Salem High)	53	55.6	2.6%
10th Grade Social Studies (West Salem School District)	53	55.6	2.6%
10th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	45.9	47.2	1.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (West Salem High)	44.4	41.4	3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (West Salem School District)	44.4	41.4	3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	38.8	41.4	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (West Salem High)	32.5	28.6	3.9%
10th Grade Mathematics (West Salem School District)	32.5	28.6	3.9%
10th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	30.8	29.4	1.3%
10th Grade Science (West Salem High)	45.3	41.4	3.9%
10th Grade Science (West Salem School District)	45.3	41.4	3.9%
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	497	605	21.7%
African American	5	3	40%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	5	9	80%
Hispanic	9	23	155.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	470	549	16.8%
Two or More Races	7	18	157.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.9%	18.2%	2.7%

Schools Near West Salem 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
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
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
Onalaska High	Public	9-12	700 Wilson St	Onalaska	54650	La Crosse County	Onalaska School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 783-4561	933	68	13.7	27.0%	669 (71.7%)	22 (2.4%)	57 (6.1%)	118 (12.6%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (6.1%)	76	75^th of 431 public high schools	82.6%		73.2	82^nd of 415 public high schools	80.2%	7	56.4	54.6	53.7								59.6		$12,848	$280	$12,568
Logan High	Public	9-12	1500 Ranger Dr	La Crosse	54603	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 789-7700	754	70	10.8	47.2%	486 (64.5%)	46 (6.1%)	42 (5.6%)	79 (10.5%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (12.3%)	44.6	255^th of 431 public high schools	40.8%		48.1	213^th of 415 public high schools	48.7%	42	48.0	40.5	39.2								44.2		$16,323	$429	$15,894
Central High	Public	9-12	1801 Losey Blvd S	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 789-7900	1,008	80	12.6	37.9%	726 (72.0%)	48 (4.8%)	59 (5.9%)	81 (8.0%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (8.8%)	62	151^st of 431 public high schools	65.0%		58.4	160^th of 415 public high schools	61.4%	9	53.2	48.0	49.1								48.4		$14,463	$424	$14,039
La Crosse Polytechnic School	Public, Charter	6-12	228 5th Avenue South	La Crosse	54601	La Crosse County	La Crosse School District	Yes	No	No	No	(608) 789-5900	120	8	14.4	44.2%	99 (82.5%)	6 (5.0%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.0%)	47.8	233^rd of 431 public high schools	45.9%		71.4	94^th of 415 public high schools	77.3%	139	57.1	35.7	42.9	77.8	38.9	70.0	66.7	33.3	80.0	85.0	40.0	75.0	$15,240	$479	$14,761
Holmen High	Public	9-12	1001 McHugh Rd	Holmen	54636	La Crosse County	Holmen School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 526-3372	1,212	85	14.2	24.8%	1,025 (84.6%)	7 (0.6%)	32 (2.6%)	104 (8.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.5%)	59.7	163^rd of 431 public high schools	62.2%		59.5	153^rd of 415 public high schools	63.1%	10	49.8	45.8	47.5								53.3		$12,163	$264	$11,899
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
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

West Salem High

West Salem High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

West Salem School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Salem High

Rank History for all students at West Salem High

Rank History for Special Education students at West Salem High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Salem High

Rank History for Female students at West Salem High

Rank History for Male students at West Salem High

Rank History for White students at West Salem High

Enrollment information for West Salem High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Salem High

Student/Teacher Ratio West Salem High

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Salem High

Impact of COVID-19 on West Salem High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Salem High

West Salem High

Bangor Middle/High

Onalaska High

Logan High

Central High

La Crosse Polytechnic School

Holmen High

Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High

Sparta High

Sparta Alternative Independent Learning School

Frequently Asked Questions about West Salem High

What schools feed into West Salem High?

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