West Salem High

Summary:

West Salem High is a public high school serving 605 students in grades 9-12 in West Salem, Wisconsin, which is part of the West Salem School District. This high-performing school consistently maintains a 100% four-year graduation rate, significantly higher than the state average, and has very low dropout rates ranging from 0.0% to 0.9% over the past five years.

West Salem High students excel on standardized tests, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in subjects like Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to the state and district averages. While the school has seen a recent increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching 7.1% in 2022-2023, it is still lower than the state average and some nearby schools. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 18.18% to 22.97% over the past three years.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau High and Onalaska High, West Salem High generally outperforms its peers in metrics like graduation rates, test scores, and chronic absenteeism. However, the school's ranking for specific student subgroups, such as female students and low socioeconomic status students, has been lower than the overall school ranking in recent years, suggesting potential areas for improvement to ensure equitable outcomes across all demographics.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 490 N Mark St
       West Salem, WI  54669-1224


(608) 786-1220

District: West Salem School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
189th of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,361 Help


Feeder schools for West Salem High:

Elementary:    West Salem Elementary
Middle:    West Salem Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  606

Racial breakdown:

White:
91.3%
Two or more races:
3.6%
Hispanic:
2.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  19.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West Salem High ranks better than 56.1% of high schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.92. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at West Salem High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.3%), two or more races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 19.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Salem High is 13.7. (See more...)
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Compare West Salem High employs 44.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Salem High is $13,361.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Salem High:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem High 189th of 431 Wisconsin public high schools. (See West Salem High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


West Salem School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Salem School District 108th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for West Salem High

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Rank History for all students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 64.09 114th 275 58.5%
2005 77.34 48th 287 83.3%
2006 66.45 113th 292 61.3%
2008 62.58 184th 437 57.9%
2009 75.38 73rd 438 83.3%
2010 67.07 158th 450 64.9%
2011 46.88 331st 445 25.6%
2012 76.01 68th 452 85.0%
2013 52.90 266th 457 41.8%
2014 73.17 105th 462 77.3%
2015 73.14 85th 466 81.8%
2016 59.52 146th 408 64.2%
2017 64.25 121st 410 70.5%
2018 75.11 71st 410 82.7%
2019 66.34 108th 400 73.0%
2021 69.41 94th 390 75.9%
2022 66.28 113th 391 71.1%
2023 58.76 158th 415 61.9%
2024 54.92 189th 431 56.1%
See the entire list of Wisconsin High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 51.03 42nd 95 55.8%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.01 39th 255 84.7%
2022 65.27 51st 250 79.6%
2023 32.51 206th 271 24.0%
2024 36.40 223rd 326 31.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.13 109th 355 69.3%
2019 50.73 171st 343 50.1%
2021 74.26 70th 332 78.9%
2022 76.11 56th 343 83.7%
2023 56.49 141st 329 57.1%
2024 40.67 234th 353 33.7%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.88 62nd 373 83.4%
2019 73.29 74th 354 79.1%
2021 53.79 143rd 334 57.2%
2022 52.43 151st 347 56.5%
2023 60.14 119th 359 66.9%
2024 63.02 118th 365 67.7%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at West Salem High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.75 66th 261 74.7%
2019 56.19 97th 266 63.5%
2021 61.08 82nd 266 69.2%
2022 53.81 107th 269 60.2%
2023 49.57 128th 271 52.8%
2024 43.19 171st 300 43.0%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

West Salem High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for West Salem High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 356 2 1 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 360
1990 330 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 334
1991 327 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 331
1992 357 2 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 364
1993 348 1 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 351
1994 361 2 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 366
1995 433 0 2 0 3 n/a n/a 0 438
1996 433 0 2 0 3 n/a n/a 0 438
1997 472 1 5 3 4 n/a n/a 0 485
1998 487 2 8 1 4 n/a n/a 0 502
1999 483 3 9 2 5 n/a n/a 0 502
2000 480 2 5 3 5 n/a n/a 0 495
2001 467 1 9 1 2 n/a n/a 0 480
2002 490 3 8 4 6 n/a n/a 0 511
2003 490 3 8 4 6 n/a n/a 0 511
2004 497 5 10 2 6 n/a n/a 0 520
2005 500 5 9 4 4 n/a n/a 0 522
2006 522 3 7 3 3 n/a n/a 0 538
2007 517 4 8 3 1 n/a n/a 0 533
2008 519 5 7 3 1 n/a n/a 0 535
2009 541 3 6 4 2 n/a n/a 0 556
2010 519 6 4 7 2 n/a n/a 0 538
2011 531 7 6 6 4 0 0 0 554
2012 518 8 8 6 5 0 1 0 546
2013 502 9 11 10 3 0 4 0 539
2014 526 14 12 13 2 0 5 0 572
2015 522 8 10 17 2 0 6 0 565
2016 503 6 10 14 3 0 5 0 541
2017 504 6 4 16 2 0 11 0 543
2018 480 3 2 11 1 0 12 0 509
2019 470 5 5 9 1 0 7 0 497
2020 489 4 8 14 1 0 10 0 526
2021 500 3 8 17 1 0 13 0 542
2022 541 2 11 20 1 0 17 0 592
2023 549 3 9 23 2 1 18 0 605
2024 553 3 8 17 0 1 22 2 606

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Salem High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 360 26.9 13.3 6.9
1990 334 28.9 11.5 5.4
1991 331 28.9 11.4 7.3
1992 364 25.6 14.2 11.3
1993 351 26.4 13.3 10.3
1994 366 26.3 13.9 9.6
1995 438 27.6 15.9 8.9
1996 438 27.6 15.9 8.9
1997 485 31.2 15.5 10.5
1998 502 32.5 15.4 11.8
1999 502 33.4 15.0 18.1
2000 495 33.3 14.9 15.8
2001 480 33.9 14.2 18.5
2002 511 35.9 14.2 16.8
2003 511 35.9 14.2 16.8
2004 520 37.6 13.8 15.4
2005 522 37.5 13.9 n/a
2006 538 37.8 14.2 n/a
2007 533 35.7 14.9 14.3
2008 535 35.5 15.1 11.6
2009 556 35.9 15.5 15.5
2010 538 35.7 15.0 17.8
2011 554 36.4 15.1 20.2
2012 546 31.9 17.0 20.3
2013 539 36.7 14.6 23.2
2014 572 38.3 14.9 24.7
2015 565 n/a n/a 22.3
2016 541 37.0 14.6 19.8
2017 543 36.1 15.0 18
2018 509 35.8 14.1 19.6
2019 497 37.0 13.4 20.9
2020 526 35.6 14.7 20.3
2021 542 39.3 13.7 22.3
2022 592 42.6 13.8 23
2023 605 44.7 13.5 18.2
2024 606 44.2 13.7 19.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Salem High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 360 26.9 13.3 6.9
1990 334 28.9 11.5 5.4
1991 331 28.9 11.4 7.3
1992 364 25.6 14.2 11.3
1993 351 26.4 13.3 10.3
1994 366 26.3 13.9 9.6
1995 438 27.6 15.9 8.9
1996 438 27.6 15.9 8.9
1997 485 31.2 15.5 10.5
1998 502 32.5 15.4 11.8
1999 502 33.4 15.0 18.1
2000 495 33.3 14.9 15.8
2001 480 33.9 14.2 18.5
2002 511 35.9 14.2 16.8
2003 511 35.9 14.2 16.8
2004 520 37.6 13.8 15.4
2005 522 37.5 13.9 n/a
2006 538 37.8 14.2 n/a
2007 533 35.7 14.9 14.3
2008 535 35.5 15.1 11.6
2009 556 35.9 15.5 15.5
2010 538 35.7 15.0 17.8
2011 554 36.4 15.1 20.2
2012 546 31.9 17.0 20.3
2013 539 36.7 14.6 23.2
2014 572 38.3 14.9 24.7
2015 565 n/a n/a 22.3
2016 541 37.0 14.6 19.8
2017 543 36.1 15.0 18
2018 509 35.8 14.1 19.6
2019 497 37.0 13.4 20.9
2020 526 35.6 14.7 20.3
2021 542 39.3 13.7 22.3
2022 592 42.6 13.8 23
2023 605 44.7 13.5 18.2
2024 606 44.2 13.7 19.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Salem High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $206 (1.6%) $12,717 (98.4%) $12,923
2020 $172 (1.3%) $12,799 (98.7%) $12,970
2021 $549 (4.1%) $12,812 (95.9%) $13,361

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Salem High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 108th of 400 High schoolsRanks 158th of 415 High schools
 11.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade Social Studies (West Salem High)5355.6
 2.6%
   10th Grade Social Studies (West Salem School District)5355.6
 2.6%
   10th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)45.947.2
 1.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (West Salem High)44.441.4
 3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (West Salem School District)44.441.4
 3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)38.841.4
 2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (West Salem High)32.528.6
 3.9%
   10th Grade Mathematics (West Salem School District)32.528.6
 3.9%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)30.829.4
 1.3%
10th Grade Science (West Salem High)45.341.4
 3.9%
   10th Grade Science (West Salem School District)45.341.4
 3.9%
   10th Grade Science (Wisconsin)32.731.7
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students497605
 21.7%
African American53
 40%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian59
 80%
Hispanic923
 155.6%
Pacific Islander01
White470549
 16.8%
Two or More Races718
 157.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients20.9%18.2%
 2.7%


Schools Near West Salem High









Frequently Asked Questions about West Salem High

West Salem High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : West Salem Elementary
Middle : West Salem Middle

West Salem High ranks 189th of 431 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at West Salem High are 91% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 606 students attended West Salem High.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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