Total enrollment
7,419
-211 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
Pierce County
Wisconsin · Public K-12
Pierce County's 26 public schools sit inside Wisconsin and collectively enroll about 7,419 K-12 students across 11 elementary, 6 middle, and 7 high.
4-year change in Pierce County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
25
+1 (+4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Pierce County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Wisconsin | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 63.5% | #4 of 67 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 7,419 | #28 of 70 | #1,008 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 25 | #31 of 70 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #58 of 70 | #1,467 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 23.0% | #67 of 70 | #2,481 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 21.2% | #56 of 70 | #2,102 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Pierce County school rankings
Residents
42,584
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
26
6 districts
Enrollment
7,419
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$92,109
Above Wisconsin avg
Free/reduced lunch
23.0%
Below Wisconsin avg
Elementary
11
3,408 students
Middle
6
1,587 students
High
7
2,406 students
Combined / other
2
18 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
River Falls School District
3,442 students · 6 districts in Pierce County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Pierce 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+
33.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
4.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.2%
civilian labor
Median age
39
20.3% under 18
Test scores in Pierce County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 15 schools ranked. Wisconsin state average: 53.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Elmwood Middle· 79.8%
- Prescott Middle· 78.1%
- Malone Elementary· 69.1%
- Spring Valley Middle· 68.1%
- Greenwood Elementary· 66.8%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Plum City Middle School· 47.1%
- Ellsworth Elementary· 49.4%
- Elmwood Elementary· 57.8%
- Plum City Elementary· 60.0%
- Rocky Branch Elementary· 61.2%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Falls High | River Falls | High | 09-12 | 1,062 | · |
| Ellsworth Elementary | Ellsworth | Elementary | PK-05 | 734 | · |
| Meyer Middle | River Falls | Middle | 06-08 | 725 | · |
| Ellsworth High | Ellsworth | High | 09-12 | 538 | · |
| Malone Elementary | Prescott | Elementary | PK-05 | 457 | · |
| Rocky Branch Elementary | River Falls | Elementary | PK-05 | 441 | · |
| Greenwood Elementary | River Falls | Elementary | KG-05 | 409 | · |
| Westside Elementary | River Falls | Elementary | PK-05 | 403 | · |
| Prescott High | Prescott | High | 09-12 | 394 | · |
| Ellsworth Middle | Ellsworth | Middle | 06-08 | 325 | · |
| Spring Valley Elementary | Spring Valley | Elementary | PK-05 | 317 | · |
| Prescott Middle | Prescott | Middle | 06-08 | 254 | · |
| Spring Valley High | Spring Valley | High | 09-12 | 194 | · |
| River Falls Public Montessori Academy | River Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 189 | · |
| River Falls 4 Children | River Falls | Elementary | PK-PK | 164 | · |
| Spring Valley Middle | Spring Valley | Middle | 06-08 | 140 | · |
| Elmwood Elementary | Elmwood | Elementary | PK-04 | 130 | · |
| Elmwood Middle | Elmwood | Middle | 05-08 | 92 | · |
| Elmwood High | Elmwood | High | 09-12 | 90 | · |
| Plum City Elementary | Plum City | Elementary | PK-05 | 85 | · |
| Plum City High | Plum City | High | 09-12 | 79 | · |
| Prescott 4K | Prescott | Elementary | PK-PK | 79 | · |
| Plum City Middle School | Plum City | Middle | 06-08 | 51 | · |
| Renaissance Charter Academy | River Falls | High | 09-12 | 49 | · |
| Western Wisconsin Virtual Charter School (WWVC) | Elmwood | Combined | PK-12 | 18 | · |
| River Falls eSchool | River Falls | Combined | KG-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Pierce County
About Pierce County
Pierce County is a sparse Wisconsin county of about 42,584 residents, home to 26 public schools and roughly 7,419 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $92,109, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 25% meaningfully above the Wisconsin median.
On the school-mix side, Pierce County is built around 11 elementary schools (3,408 students), 6 middle schools (1,587), 7 high schools (2,406), and 2 combined or other schools.
River Falls School District is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 3,442 students across Pierce County.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment contracted 3%: 7,630 students in SY 2020-21 versus 7,419 in SY 2024-25. Pierce County now counts 25 public schools, up from 24 in SY 2020-21.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Pierce County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data