Can I use Pierce County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Pierce County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Pierce County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Pierce County?

Start with the 25 listed public schools and 6 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Pierce County Schools & Education

Name: Pierce County, Wisconsin Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Pierce County, Wisconsin

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

64/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

94.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

94.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,205

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,113

School Score

64/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 65/100

State Score Position

#44

of 72 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Pierce County

Measured School Summary

Pierce County performs at an average level with a school score of 64/100 and a solid graduation rate of 94.7%.

Funding Context

At $7,205 per pupil, Pierce County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 1% below the Wisconsin average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Pierce County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

25 public schools and 6 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

64/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #44 of 72 Wisconsin counties with school score data.

Completion

94.7%

2.9 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,205

$908 below the state average

School coverage

6 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Pierce County has 25 public schools across 6 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Pierce County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Pierce County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#44

of 72 Wisconsin counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

River Falls School District

Elementary to high school visible

3,488 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 2Other 2

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Ellsworth Community School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,624 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Prescott School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,243 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 1

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Spring Valley School District

Elementary to high school visible

708 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

River Falls School District is the largest listed district slice, with 9 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Pierce County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Pierce County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Pierce County Per-Pupil Expenditures Trail Wisconsin State Average

Education data brief for Pierce County, Wisconsin.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in Pierce County is $7,205, which is roughly 11% lower than the Wisconsin state average of $8,113 and 45% below the national average of $13,000. This spending supports 7,624 students across 25 schools and six districts. The River Falls School District is the largest in the county, enrolling 3,488 students. The graduation rate in Pierce County is 94.7%, which is higher than both the state average of 91.8% and the national average of 87%. Four charter schools operate in the county, representing 16% of all public schools. The composite school score is 64.3, nearly matching the state average of 65.0 and exceeding the national median of 50.0. The schools are divided between town locales (14) and rural areas (11). Compare district boundaries and spending trends before drawing conclusions about regional outcomes.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Pierce County

Reported Enrollment

7,624

25 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

16% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary9

Middle5

High7

Other4

6 School Districts in Pierce County

River Falls School District

Ellsworth Community School District

3 schools

1,624 students

Prescott School District

4 schools

1,243 students

Spring Valley School District

3 schools

708 students

Elmwood School District

4 schools

321 students

Plum City School District

2 schools

240 students

25 Public Schools in Pierce County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 25 matching schools

Public schools in Pierce County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
River Falls High	Profile	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,112
Meyer Middle	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	738
Ellsworth Elementary	Record	Ellsworth Community School District	Ellsworth, 54011Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	730
Ellsworth High	Record	Ellsworth Community School District	Ellsworth, 54011Town: Distant	9–12	High	519
Malone Elementary	Record	Prescott School District	Prescott, 54021Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	460
Prescott High	Record	Prescott School District	Prescott, 54021Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	430
Rocky Branch Elementary	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	428
Westside Elementary	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	408
Greenwood Elementary	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	392
Ellsworth Middle	Record	Ellsworth Community School District	Ellsworth, 54011Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	375
Spring Valley Elementary	Record	Spring Valley School District	Spring Valley, 54767Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	354
Prescott Middle	Record	Prescott School District	Prescott, 54021Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	275
Spring Valley High	Record	Spring Valley School District	Spring Valley, 54767Rural: Distant	9–12	High	200
River Falls Public Montessori Academy	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	PK–6	Charter	190
River Falls 4 Children	Record	River Falls School District	River Falls, 54022Town: Distant	PK	Other	160
Spring Valley Middle	Record	Spring Valley School District	Spring Valley, 54767Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	154
Elmwood Elementary	Record	Elmwood School District	Elmwood, 54740Rural: Remote	PK–4	Primary	138
Plum City High	Record	Plum City School District	Plum City, 54761Rural: Remote	6–12	High	137
Plum City Elementary	Record	Plum City School District	Plum City, 54761Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	103
Elmwood High	Record	Elmwood School District	Elmwood, 54740Rural: Remote	9–12	High	90

River Falls High

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,112 students

Meyer Middle

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle738 students

Ellsworth Elementary

Ellsworth Community School District

Ellsworth, 54011 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary730 students

Ellsworth High

Ellsworth Community School District

Ellsworth, 54011 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High519 students

Malone Elementary

Prescott School District

Prescott, 54021 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary460 students

Prescott High

Prescott School District

Prescott, 54021 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High430 students

Rocky Branch Elementary

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary428 students

Westside Elementary

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary408 students

Greenwood Elementary

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary392 students

Ellsworth Middle

Ellsworth Community School District

Ellsworth, 54011 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle375 students

Spring Valley Elementary

Spring Valley School District

Spring Valley, 54767 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary354 students

Prescott Middle

Prescott School District

Prescott, 54021 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle275 students

Spring Valley High

Spring Valley School District

Spring Valley, 54767 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High200 students

River Falls Public Montessori Academy

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–6Charter190 students

River Falls 4 Children

River Falls School District

River Falls, 54022 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther160 students

Spring Valley Middle

Spring Valley School District

Spring Valley, 54767 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle154 students

Elmwood Elementary

Elmwood School District

Elmwood, 54740 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary138 students

Plum City High

Plum City School District

Plum City, 54761 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12High137 students

Plum City Elementary

Plum City School District

Plum City, 54761 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary103 students

Elmwood High

Elmwood School District

Elmwood, 54740 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High90 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,205

State avg $8,113

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Pierce County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Wisconsin counties have the highest graduation rates?

Ozaukee County (97.6%), Oneida County (96.8%), and Vilas County (96.1%) currently lead Wisconsin among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Wisconsin?

Across Wisconsin counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,113. The highest current county values are Bayfield County ($10,665), Vilas County ($10,435), and Florence County ($10,426). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Pierce County?

Pierce County has a school score of 64/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Pierce County?

The high school graduation rate in Pierce County is 94.7%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Pierce County spend per student?

Pierce County spends $7,205 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Brown County

Wisconsin

0 pts

64/100

School score

Green Lake County

Wisconsin

+1 pts

65/100

School score

Iron County

Wisconsin

+1 pts

65/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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