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Schools in Sterling

Sterling’s public schools

De Soto Area School District and Viroqua Area School District have no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Sterling. Each school below is shown with its own results.

—Not gradedK–12Where will my kid go?2/5schools above Wisconsin’s middle

Tests spring 2022, when 96% of students in Wisconsin’s tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s graduation rate (U.S. Department of Education). How TownRatings grades schools

Reading proficiency
29%
2021–22
Math proficiency
23%
2021–22
Graduate on time
95%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$15.6K
▼ 5% vs WI $16.5K
FY2024 · Viroqua Area
Students per teacher
12.4
WI 13.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
1
880 students on the public path
In brief

Sterling’s schools, in brief

School by school

2 of Sterling’s 5 district schools with test results score above the middle of Wisconsin’s 1,899 public schools. Viroqua Middle places highest (better than 63%); De Soto High lowest (11%). See the path ↓

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.

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools in Sterling, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–5Prairie View ElementaryDe Soto Area School DistrictB
6–82 middle schoolsDepends on your addressB− to B
9–122 high schoolsDepends on your addressD to C

Which school depends on your address. To confirm it, ask the De Soto Area School District.

Two districts serve Sterling

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

De Soto Area School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 5 schools · 440 students, down 10% since 2020–21 · 10.9 per teacher (WI 13.6)
$18,075WI $16,459 · FY2024
D
Viroqua Area School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 6 schools · 1,038 students · 13.2 per teacher (WI 13.6)
$15,590WI $16,459 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Close to the state in reading

Reading · PK–12, De Soto Area School District29%
State average 38.1% · 235 students tested
Math · PK–12, De Soto Area School District23%
State average 38.7% · 235 students tested
Reading · PK–12, Viroqua Area School District44%
State average 38.1% · 525 students tested
Math · PK–12, Viroqua Area School District38%
State average 38.7% · 524 students tested

Sterling vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Sterling—De Soto Area PK–12 · Viroqua Area PK–12
FranklinBViroqua Area
Freeman—De Soto Area
Wheatland—De Soto Area
JeffersonBViroqua Area
Harmony—Viroqua Area PK–12 · Westby Area PK–12
Genoa—De Soto Area

3 of the 6 neighbors share Viroqua Area with Sterling for grades PK–12, so their letters differ mainly through the lower grades.

Every school in Sterling

5 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).

District schools in Sterlingby address
Prairie View Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · De Soto
B
92 students10:1Rate it →
Also serving Sterlingin other towns
Viroqua Middle
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Viroqua
B
253 students13:1Rate it →
De Soto Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · De Soto
B−
101 students13:1Rate it →
Viroqua High
High · Grades 9–12 · Viroqua
C
301 students13:1Rate it →
De Soto High
High · Grades 9–12 · De Soto
D
133 students10:1Rate it →

Questions about Sterling’s schools

Are Sterling’s schools good?

There’s no Schools grade for Sterling. De Soto Area School District and Viroqua Area School District have no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Sterling. Each school below is shown with its own results. School by school, 2 of its 5 district schools with test results score above the middle of Wisconsin’s public schools on their 2020–21 results.

What school district is Sterling in?

De Soto Area School District and Viroqua Area School District.

Where do Sterling kids go to high school?

One of two high schools, depending on your address: Viroqua High and De Soto High.

Parents talk

What Sterling families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Sterling → 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). Stars are from neighbors.