Iola-Scandinavia Elementary

Iola-Scandinavia Elementary is one of the reasonably sized elementary schools in Iola, Wisconsin, part of Iola-Scandinavia School District, with 293 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6.

Iola-Scandinavia School District comprises 2 schools with combined enrollment of 577 students; Iola-Scandinavia Elementary is among them.

Demographically, Iola-Scandinavia Elementary reports that nearly all students (95%) are White. Beyond that, the school reports 4% Hispanic. Compared to Waupaca County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Iola-Scandinavia Elementary has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.7:1, putting Iola-Scandinavia Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 37% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Iola-Scandinavia Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 55.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 58.4%.

In the surrounding community, Waupaca County reports that median household earnings sit near $72,830, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Waupaca County's 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,466 students), Iola-Scandinavia Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Iola-Scandinavia High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 6 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, Iola-Scandinavia Elementary comes 4th of 7 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 59.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 20%: 366 students in 2018 compared to 293 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 14.4:1 in 2018 to 12.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.