schoolsbycounty

Sawyer County Schools & Education

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

87.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,001

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,113

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 65/100

State Score Position

#63

of 72 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Sawyer County

Measured School Summary

Sawyer County performs at an average level with a school score of 50/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.4%.

Funding Context

Sawyer County spends $8,001 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 23% below the Wisconsin average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Sawyer 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

11 public schools and 3 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

50/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #63 of 72 Wisconsin counties with school score data.

Completion

87.4%

4.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,001

$112 below the state average

School coverage

11

3 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

Sawyer County has 11 public schools across 3 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.

Parent decision brief

What Sawyer 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.

Choice-program county

Sawyer County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.

State position

#63

of 72 Wisconsin counties with school score data. The county score is 15 points below 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.

Hayward Community School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,905 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 1

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Winter School District

Elementary to high school visible

249 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute Inc.

High school only in this slice

13 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Hayward Community School District is the largest listed district slice, with 6 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 Sawyer County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Sawyer 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Sawyer County, Wisconsin

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Compact Educational Network in the North

Sawyer County operates 11 public schools across three districts, serving a total of 2,167 students. The infrastructure includes five high schools and three elementary schools, providing a focused learning environment for the region.

Hayward Community Schools Lead the Way

The Hayward Community School District is the largest provider, educating 1,905 students across six schools. Charter schools represent over 27% of the county's options, including the Hayward Center for Individualized Learning which serves 229 students.

Small Classes in a Rural Setting

Education here is predominantly rural, with eight schools in rural zones and three in town settings. Schools are intimate, averaging just 217 students, ranging from Hayward High's 529 students to the tiny 13-student Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute.

School Overview

Total Schools

11

in Sawyer County

Reported Enrollment

2,167

11 schools reporting

School Districts

3

districts

Charter Schools

3

27% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle2
High5
Other1

3 School Districts in Sawyer County

Hayward Community School District

6 schools
1,905 students

Winter School District

3 schools
249 students

Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute Inc.

1 school
13 students

11 Public Schools in Sawyer County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

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

Level

Showing 11 of 11 matching schools

Hayward High

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High529 students

Hayward Primary

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–2Primary416 students

Hayward Intermediate

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Rural: Fringe

Record3–5Primary353 students

Hayward Middle

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle347 students

Hayward Ctr for Individualized Learning

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–12CharterVirtual229 students

Winter Elementary

Winter School District

Winter, 54896 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary113 students

Winter High

Winter School District

Winter, 54896 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High83 students

Winter Middle

Winter School District

Winter, 54896 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle53 students

Northern Waters Environmental School

Hayward Community School District

Hayward, 54843 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–12Charter31 students

WOLI/Akii'gikinoo'amaading Environmental School

Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute Inc.

Hayward, 54843 / Rural: Distant

Record6–12Charter13 students

Flambeau Correctional Center

Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Hawkins, 54530 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,001

State avg $8,113

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Sawyer 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 Sawyer County?
Sawyer County has a school score of 50/100, 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 Sawyer County?
The high school graduation rate in Sawyer County is 87.4%, which is below 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 Sawyer County spend per student?
Sawyer County spends $8,001 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Sawyer County, Wisconsin — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?

Sawyer County operates 11 public schools across three districts, serving a total of 2,167 students. The infrastructure includes five high schools and three elementary schools, providing a focused learning environment for the region.

What are the major school districts in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?

The Hayward Community School District is the largest provider, educating 1,905 students across six schools. Charter schools represent over 27% of the county's options, including the Hayward Center for Individualized Learning which serves 229 students.

What is the school experience like in Sawyer County?

Education here is predominantly rural, with eight schools in rural zones and three in town settings. Schools are intimate, averaging just 217 students, ranging from Hayward High's 529 students to the tiny 13-student Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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.