Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0

B⁺

Schools in Balsam Lake · Unity School District, St. Croix Falls School District

Balsam Lake’s public schools outscore 67% of Wisconsin districts

The grade covers the two public school districts serving Balsam Lake, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. On the state reading tests, 43% of Balsam Lake’s students scored proficient, above the Wisconsin average (38%). Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Wisconsin, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From Wisconsin state tests taken in spring 2022, when 99% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency

43%

▲ 5 pts vs WI 38%

2021–22

Math proficiency

41%

▲ 3 pts vs WI 39%

2021–22

Graduate on time

95–100%

▲ 4–10 pts vs WI 90%

class of 2023

Spent per student

$15.2K

▼ 8% vs WI $16.5K

FY2024 · St. Croix Falls

Students per teacher

13.1

WI 13.6 · smaller classes

Schools in town

1,906 students on the public path

In brief

Balsam Lake’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 1268 Wisconsin towns with household incomes within a quarter of Balsam Lake’s, its schools beat 72%, higher than their 67% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 43% and math 41% across both districts in spring 2022, against 38% and 39% statewide; 95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 90%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

Unity spends $14,703 per student and St. Croix Falls $15,166, against $16,459 across Wisconsin (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Balsam Lake’s grade

B Test scoresB Graduation

B+: better than 67% of Wisconsin school districts. Test scores and graduation are both above the Wisconsin average; graduation is the stronger of the two.

Wisconsin school districts we grade (441)Better than 67%

Lower resultsHigher results

Wisconsin towns with similar household incomes (1268)Better than 72%

Towns in Polk County (24)Better than 62%

B⁻A⁻A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 1,022 test results and a graduating class of 81 could put Balsam Lake anywhere from B− to A−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 99% of Balsam Lake’s students in the tested grades sat them (1,021 in math, 1,022 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Balsam Lake, with each school’s own grade.

Kindergarten in Balsam Lake · depends on your address

Unity Elementary

Grades PK–4 · 385 students · 13:1 students per teacher

Saint Croix Falls Elementary

Grades PK–4 · 303 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Saint Croix Falls

A⁺

Dresser Elementary

Grades PK–K · 46 students · 12:1 students per teacher · in Dresser

No scores

The path, start to finish

PK–43 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressC to A⁺

5–82 middle schoolsDepends on your addressC⁺ to A⁻

9–122 high schoolsDepends on your addressC⁻ to B

Balsam Lake runs its own schools through grade 12 (Unity School District). From grade PK, students attend the St. Croix Falls School District, shared with Dresser, Eureka, Garfield, Osceola, St. Croix Falls, St. Croix Falls and Sterling. Its elementary school is in Balsam Lake. Parts of Balsam Lake (17% of its land) are served by Amery instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

Two districts serve Balsam Lake

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Unity School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 3 schools · 915 students, down 2% since 2020–21 · 12.5 per teacher (WI 13.6)

$14,703WI $16,459 · FY2024

C⁺

St. Croix Falls School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 4 schools · 991 students, down 5% since 2020–21 · 13.7 per teacher (WI 13.6)

$15,166WI $16,459 · FY2024

A⁻

Test scores · 2021–22

Above the state in reading

Reading · PK–12, Unity School District33%

State average 38.1% · 470 students tested

Math · PK–12, Unity School District30%

State average 38.7% · 470 students tested

Reading · PK–12, St. Croix Falls School District51%

State average 38.1% · 552 students tested

Math · PK–12, St. Croix Falls School District51%

State average 38.7% · 551 students tested

Balsam Lake vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Wisconsin towns that share Balsam Lake’s borders.

Schools next door

Town	Schools	Main districts
Balsam Lake	B⁺	Unity PK–12 · St. Croix Falls PK–12
Balsam Lake (village)	—	Unity
Apple River	B	Amery PK–12 · Unity PK–12
St. Croix Falls	B⁺	St. Croix Falls PK–12 · Unity PK–12
Milltown	C⁺	Unity

All 4 neighbors share Unity with Balsam Lake for grades PK–12, so their letters differ mainly through the lower grades.

Every school in Balsam Lake

7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Wisconsin’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Balsam Lakein other towns

Unity Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–4

385 students13:1Rate it →

Saint Croix Falls Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Saint Croix Falls

A⁺

303 students11:1Rate it →

Dresser Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–K · Dresser

46 students12:1Rate it →

Saint Croix Falls Middle

Middle · Grades 5–8 · Saint Croix Falls

A⁻

297 students17:1Rate it →

Unity Middle

Middle · Grades 5–8

C⁺

238 students12:1Rate it →

Saint Croix Falls High

High · Grades 9–12 · Saint Croix Falls

345 students15:1Rate it →

Unity High

High · Grades 9–12

C⁻

292 students13:1Rate it →

Questions about Balsam Lake’s schools

Are Balsam Lake’s schools good?

By Wisconsin’s own tests, yes: the public schools Balsam Lake children attend outscore 67% of Wisconsin’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 72%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Balsam Lake in?

Two districts: Unity School District runs grades PK–12, and St. Croix Falls School District runs grades PK–12, shared with Dresser, Eureka, Garfield, Osceola, St. Croix Falls, St. Croix Falls and Sterling.

Where do Balsam Lake kids go to high school?

One of 2 high schools, depending on your address: Saint Croix Falls High and Unity High.

What is Balsam Lake’s graduation rate?

95–100% of the class of 2023 in St. Croix Falls School District graduated in four years, against 90% across Wisconsin.

How much does Balsam Lake spend per student?

$14,703 in Unity School District and $15,166 in St. Croix Falls School District (FY2024), against $16,459 across Wisconsin. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Balsam Lake families are saying about school.

Town Square →

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Looking for colleges? Colleges near Balsam Lake → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Wisconsin. Stars are from neighbors.