Mead Elementary

Mead Elementary is a close-knit elementary school in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, overseen by Wisconsin Rapids School District. The school serves 266 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Wisconsin Rapids School District comprises 12 schools with combined enrollment of 4,578 students; Mead Elementary is among them.

Demographically, Mead Elementary lists that 65% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 15% multiracial, 11% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 3% Black. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 91%.

On the resource side, The school employs 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 9.5:1. The state averages around 14.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 78% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is above Wood County's rate of about 43%.

With demographic context factored in, Mead Elementary sits in the top 10% of Wisconsin schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 29.7%; actual is 43.9%, +14.2 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Wood County) records that median household earnings sit near $67,989, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Wood County's 32 public schools (combined enrollment of about 10,849 students), Mead Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.2 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Mead Elementary at 7th of 7; the average score across the group is 52.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 28%: 367 students in 2018 compared to 266 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 76% to 65% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 11.0:1 in 2018 to 9.5:1 in 2025.

On allk12, members of the Mead Elementary community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.