Best Public Schools in Brookfield, WI

Brookfield, Wisconsin has eight schools serving kindergarten through 12th grade, all part of the Elmbrook School District, a district ranked 9th of 432 in Wisconsin at the 98th percentile with a 5-star rating. The mix includes four elementary schools (Burleigh Elementary, Swanson Elementary, Dixon Elementary, and Brookfield Elementary), one middle school (Wisconsin Hills Middle), and three high schools, two of them comprehensive and one, Fairview South, a very small specialized setting of 9 students in grades 5–12. Total enrollment is 6,414 students, and every ranked school in the city sits at or above the 95th percentile statewide in 2025–2026.

Brookfield Elementary is the clearest standout, ranking 15th of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools at the 99th percentile, with the highest proficiency average (85.07), the lowest chronic absenteeism among all schools (0.9%), and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (4.37%) and per-student spending ($13,778) among the regular schools. Brookfield East High is the top comprehensive high school, ranked 12th of 533 with a 97.8% graduation rate and 0.0% dropout rate, while Brookfield Central High ranks 16th of 533 and posts the highest high-school ELA score (78.45). Wisconsin Hills Middle, ranked 32nd of 643, has improved its proficiency average from 75.30 to 79.38. Both high schools exceed state proficiency by roughly 22 to 34 points.

Across the regular schools, chronic absenteeism ranges from 0.9% to 6.6%, well below Wisconsin's 17.3%, and free/reduced lunch ranges from 4.37% to 13.11%. Spending does not track with performance: Brookfield Elementary spends the least yet scores highest, while Brookfield Central High spends the most among regular schools ($16,369) but ranks behind East and Brookfield Elementary. Dixon Elementary (108th to 48th), Wisconsin Hills Middle, and Brookfield Central High have all improved their state ranks over three years. Fairview South should be read separately: with 9 students, no test, rank, or graduation data, 20.0% chronic absenteeism, 33.33% free/reduced lunch, and $84,113 per-student spending, it is a specialized case rather than a direct comparison.