The Rice Lake Area School District received an overall score of 64 on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) school and district report cards, a district presenter identified as Marsha told the board at its Nov. 24 meeting. "We are rated at the same level as we were last year — meeting expectations with an overall score of 64," the presenter said.

The presenter described five components that feed the report‑card score — achievement, growth, target‑group outcomes, on‑track‑to‑graduation measures and supporting graphs — and noted that the district remains at or above the state average on achievement in both English language arts and math. Marsha said the district’s growth score rose by 0.9 percentage points this year but still lags the state.

Board members asked how the DPI weighting works. The presenter explained the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (reported at 42.3%) shifts the formula so growth can carry more weight in some buildings; the presenter said achievement contributes about 20.1% of the district score while growth contributes about 20.9% under the current weighting. "The heavier weight on growth encourages us to focus on making sure that all students are growing and learning regardless of where they start," the presenter said.

Discussion included the on‑track‑to‑graduation component, which combines chronic absenteeism, graduation rate and early‑grade indicators such as third‑grade reading and eighth‑grade math. The presenter said the district’s chronic absenteeism score rose by 6.4 points this year and that graduation indicators were also up modestly.

Board members and administrators discussed specific subcomponents that emerged from the report card. One trustee pressed about industry‑recognized credentials, noting the district’s reported rate of 2.2% in the post‑secondary preparation section compared with a 5.5% state figure; Mark Bice, an assistant principal, described local credential offerings such as entry‑level SolidWorks exams, Microsoft credentials and past partnerships that produced CNC/machine‑tool certifications through local technical schools. "If there was a certification our welding program could award, I bet students could do it tomorrow," Bice said, describing opportunities to partner with Northwoods Tech and local employers.

Administrators said course sequence, curriculum alignment and coaching are among the district’s levers to improve growth and on‑track measures. The presenter said some differences across buildings reflect variations in economically disadvantaged percentages and sample sizes at small schools, which can change how the DPI weights components.

The board did not take formal action on the report card at the meeting. Administrators said the district will continue to analyze report‑card detail for school improvement work and bring follow‑up information to future meetings.

The district presentation and discussion began with an overview of statewide changes in standard setting that affected score ranges and continued through a question‑and‑answer period with multiple trustees.