Bowler Elementary

As a small K-5 school in Bowler, Wisconsin, Bowler Elementary works with 156 students from grades pre-K through 6, overseen by Bowler School District. That puts it 52% leaner than the typical public school in Wisconsin, which averages around 323 students.

Bowler School District runs 2 schools in total, collectively educating 294 students. Bowler Elementary is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Bowler Elementary shows that the most-represented group is Native American (38%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder consists of 36% White, 14% multiracial, 11% Hispanic.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.3:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.7:1, putting Bowler Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 78% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Shawano County runs at roughly 47%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Bowler Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 30.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 36.0%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Shawano County put median household earnings sit near $66,479, about 19% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Shawano County's 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,832 students), Bowler Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Bowler High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Bowler Elementary ranks 7th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 43.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Bowler Elementary's enrollment has edged down 13% since 2018, when it stood at 180 (now 156). Over the same period, the White share declined from 45% to 36%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 10.9:1 in 2018 to 9.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.