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Charter high school · Hayward Community School District · Hayward, Wisconsin

Northern Waters Environmental School

Northern Waters Environmental School rates 5.5, right at the middle of Hayward Community School District's high schools, whose rated median is 5.3.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.5this school

5.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Hayward Community School District median is 5.3.

#1,432 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin · Hayward Community School District: 2 high schools rated, median 5.3

The brief

A Hayward Community School District charter high school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,432 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin and 4 of 6 in Hayward Community School District.

Northern Waters Environmental School is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.

Math24%30 points below the Wisconsin average of 54%Grades 7–8 · 17 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Reading46%7 points below the Wisconsin average of 53%Grades 7–8 · 17 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Proficiency is down 25 points across the 14-year record (2012–2025) and has held near 35% recently.2025 FORWARD; 26 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.5
25% of the rating
Academics
4.7
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.4
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.6
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 35% (multi-year average, 2012-2025) · reading/ELA 46% (multi-year average, 2012-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 54843; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2012-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Northern Waters Environmental School and the 17 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$59,333
Median home value
$233,500
Median rent
$687/mo
College educated
29.3%
Homeownership
75.1%
Poverty rate
15.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 54843; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
12
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
62
Bikeable
City reported crime
1,885/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Hayward. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Hayward), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
47.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Northern Waters Environmental Schoolthis school
    5.5
  2. 5.0Compare →
  3. 3.8Compare →
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Northern Waters Environmental School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Northern Waters Environmental School serve?

Northern Waters Environmental School serves students in grades 6th through 12th.

How many students attend Northern Waters Environmental School?

Northern Waters Environmental School has an enrollment of approximately 42 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Waters Environmental School?

The student-teacher ratio at Northern Waters Environmental School is 14:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Northern Waters Environmental School rank in WI?

Northern Waters Environmental School ranks #1,432 of 2,109 schools in WI.

What is Northern Waters Environmental School's MySchoolScout rating?

Northern Waters Environmental School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Northern Waters Environmental School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Northern Waters Environmental School has 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2012-2025) and 46% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2012-2025).

Is Northern Waters Environmental School a charter school?

Yes, Northern Waters Environmental School is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is Northern Waters Environmental School a Title I school?

No, Northern Waters Environmental School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Northern Waters Environmental School?

47.6% of students at Northern Waters Environmental School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 12th
Enrollment
42
Student-teacher ratio
14:1
Teachers (FTE)
3
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Rural
County
Sawyer County
Rank in district
#4 of 6
Schools in district
6
District spending per student
$15,713
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 54843)
13,167
Area average commute
16.9 min
Area median age
49.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Wisconsin Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.