Total enrollment
3,669
-426 (-10%) vs SY 2017-18
Vernon County
Wisconsin · Public K-12
Across Vernon County, 23 public K-12 schools educate around 3,669 students, roughly 1 in 8 residents. The level mix runs 10 elementary, 4 middle, and 8 high.
7-year change in Vernon County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
23
+1 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
92%
was 93%
% Hispanic
3%
was 3%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
23
6 districts
Enrollment
3,669
NCES CCD
Median income
$71,893
Below Wisconsin avg
Free/reduced lunch
37.9%
Below Wisconsin avg
Elementary
10
1,595 students
Middle
4
673 students
High
8
1,392 students
Combined / other
1
9 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Viroqua Area School District
1,038 students · 6 districts in Vernon County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Vernon 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+
24.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.2%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
2.5%
civilian labor
Median age
42
26.0% under 18
Test scores in Vernon County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 15 schools ranked. Wisconsin state average: 53.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Viroqua Area Montessori School· 85.5%
- Viroqua Elementary· 65.7%
- Coon Valley Elementary· 62.5%
- Viroqua Middle· 58.3%
- Westby Elementary· 56.4%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- La Farge Middle· 40.0%
- Hillsboro High· 40.4%
- La Farge Elementary· 41.5%
- Kickapoo Elementary· 43.2%
- Hillsboro Elementary· 46.9%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westby High | Westby | High | 09-12 | 319 | · |
| Viroqua High | Viroqua | High | 09-12 | 301 | · |
| Westby Elementary | Westby | Elementary | PK-04 | 277 | · |
| Viroqua Elementary | Viroqua | Elementary | PK-04 | 276 | · |
| Westby Middle | Westby | Middle | 05-08 | 272 | · |
| Kickapoo High | Viola | High | 06-12 | 260 | · |
| Viroqua Middle | Viroqua | Middle | 05-08 | 253 | · |
| Hillsboro High | Hillsboro | High | 06-12 | 252 | · |
| Hillsboro Elementary | Hillsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 220 | · |
| Kickapoo Elementary | Viola | Elementary | PK-05 | 204 | · |
| Viroqua Area Montessori School | Viroqua | Elementary | PK-08 | 147 | · |
| De Soto High | De Soto | High | 09-12 | 133 | · |
| Coon Valley Elementary | Coon Valley | Elementary | PK-04 | 125 | · |
| Stoddard Elementary | Stoddard | Elementary | PK-05 | 105 | · |
| De Soto Middle | De Soto | Middle | 06-08 | 101 | · |
| Prairie View Elementary | De Soto | Elementary | PK-05 | 92 | · |
| La Farge Elementary | La Farge | Elementary | PK-05 | 83 | · |
| Kickapoo Valley Forest School | La Farge | Elementary | PK-03 | 66 | · |
| La Farge High | La Farge | High | 09-12 | 66 | · |
| La Farge Middle | La Farge | Middle | 06-08 | 47 | · |
| Laurel High | Viroqua | High | 09-12 | 43 | · |
| Vernon County Area Better Futures High | Viroqua | High | 09-12 | 18 | · |
| De Soto Virtual School | De Soto | Combined | KG-12 | 9 | · |
Cities in Vernon County
About Vernon County
Vernon County is a small county of about 31,049 residents in Wisconsin. Its public-school system educates approximately 3,669 students across 23 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $71,893, 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%.
On the school-mix side, Vernon County covers 10 elementary schools (1,595 students), 4 middle schools (673), 8 high schools (1,392), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Vernon County is Viroqua Area School District, which alone enrolls about 1,038 students.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment contracted 10%: 4,095 students in SY 2017-18 versus 3,669 in SY 2024-25. Vernon County now counts 23 public schools, up from 22 in SY 2017-18.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Vernon County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Vernon County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data