Total enrollment
14,903
-1,458 (-9%) vs SY 2017-18
La Crosse County
Wisconsin · Public K-12
Across 38 public schools, La Crosse County, Wisconsin serves roughly 14,903 K-12 students, roughly 1 in 8 residents. By level, that breaks down as 23 elementary, 6 middle, and 7 high schools.
7-year change in La Crosse County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
37
-2 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
75%
was 79%
% Hispanic
5%
was 3%
% Black
3%
was 3%
% Asian
9%
was 9%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
38
5 districts
Enrollment
14,903
NCES CCD
Median income
$73,013
Below Wisconsin avg
Free/reduced lunch
34.8%
Below Wisconsin avg
Elementary
23
6,779 students
Middle
6
3,116 students
High
7
4,906 students
Combined / other
2
102 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
La Crosse School District
5,717 students · 5 districts in La Crosse County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of La Crosse County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
36.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.1%
civilian labor
Median age
38
19.4% under 18
Test scores in La Crosse County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 28 schools ranked. Wisconsin state average: 53.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- School of Technology and Arts I· 74.5%
- Holmen Middle· 67.3%
- West Salem Middle· 66.9%
- West Salem Elementary· 66.7%
- La Crosse Polytechnic School· 65.9%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Hamilton Elementary School· 21.7%
- Northside Elementary· 23.8%
- Hintgen Elementary· 24.0%
- Coulee Montessori Charter School· 31.2%
- Summit Environmental School· 41.1%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmen High | Holmen | High | 09-12 | 1,242 | · |
| Central High | La Crosse | High | 09-12 | 969 | · |
| Onalaska High | Onalaska | High | 09-12 | 925 | · |
| Holmen Middle | Holmen | Middle | 06-08 | 868 | · |
| Logan High | La Crosse | High | 09-12 | 729 | · |
| West Salem Elementary | West Salem | Elementary | PK-04 | 677 | · |
| Longfellow Middle | La Crosse | Middle | 06-08 | 631 | · |
| Onalaska Middle | Onalaska | Middle | 06-08 | 620 | · |
| West Salem High | West Salem | High | 09-12 | 603 | · |
| West Salem Middle | West Salem | Middle | 05-08 | 534 | · |
| Eagle Bluff Elementary | Onalaska | Elementary | PK-05 | 471 | · |
| Prairie View Elementary | Holmen | Elementary | KG-05 | 466 | · |
| Northern Hills Elementary | Onalaska | Elementary | PK-05 | 463 | · |
| Logan Middle | La Crosse | Middle | 06-08 | 424 | · |
| Pertzsch Elementary | Onalaska | Elementary | PK-05 | 373 | · |
| Sand Lake Elementary | Holmen | Elementary | KG-05 | 363 | · |
| Viking Elementary | Holmen | Elementary | KG-05 | 355 | · |
| Bangor Middle/High | Bangor | High | 06-12 | 352 | · |
| Southern Bluffs Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 333 | · |
| Spence Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 329 | · |
| Emerson Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 317 | · |
| Evergreen Elementary | Holmen | Elementary | KG-05 | 317 | · |
| Bangor Elementary | Bangor | Elementary | PK-05 | 313 | · |
| Summit Environmental School | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 295 | · |
| State Road Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 284 | · |
| North Woods International School | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 255 | · |
| Northside Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 237 | · |
| Hintgen Elementary | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 210 | · |
| Holmen Public Preschool | Holmen | Elementary | PK-PK | 176 | · |
| Hamilton Elementary School | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 151 | · |
| Coulee Montessori Charter School | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-06 | 118 | · |
| La Crosse Offsite Preschool | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-PK | 104 | · |
| School of Technology and Arts I | La Crosse | Elementary | PK-05 | 104 | · |
| Coulee Region Virtual Academy | La Crosse | Combined | KG-12 | 102 | · |
| La Crosse Polytechnic School | La Crosse | High | 06-12 | 86 | · |
| Onalaska Prekindergarten Partner School | Onalaska | Elementary | PK-PK | 68 | · |
| School of Technology and Arts II | La Crosse | Middle | 06-08 | 39 | · |
| Lincoln Middle | La Crosse | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in La Crosse County
About La Crosse County
Across the moderately sized Wisconsin county of La Crosse County of about 120,488 residents, the public-school footprint covers 38 schools and about 14,903 students.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show the median household earns about $73,013 a year, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
On the level-by-level breakdown, La Crosse County is made up of 23 elementary schools (6,779 students), 6 middle schools (3,116), 7 high schools (4,906), and 2 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in La Crosse County is La Crosse School District, which alone enrolls about 5,717 students.
Trend over the past 7 years. Total public-school enrollment in La Crosse County has contracted 9% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 16,361 students to 14,903. Over that span, La Crosse County lost 2 schools, going from 39 to 37. Demographically, the White share of enrollment shrank from 79% to 75%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for La Crosse County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
La Crosse County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data