Best Public Schools in Elkhorn, WI

Elkhorn, Wisconsin has seven listed schools, all within the Elkhorn Area School District: three elementary schools (Jackson Elementary, Tibbets Elementary, West Side Elementary), one middle school (Elkhorn Area Middle), two high schools (Elkhorn Area High, Career and College Academy), and one alternative school (Elkhorn Options Virtual School). Together they enroll about 3,515 students from PK through grade 12. The district ranks 122 of 432 Wisconsin districts — the 72nd percentile, 4 stars — and its 6.0% chronic absenteeism rate is well below the state's 17.3%.

Tibbets Elementary is Elkhorn's clear academic standout, earning 5 stars in each of the last three years and ranking 56 of 1,039 schools (95th percentile) in 2025–2026. Its 2025–2026 results beat both district and state in every listed subject, including grade 4 social studies at 96.72, and its chronic absenteeism is just 1.4%. West Side Elementary shows the strongest improvement, rising from 56th percentile and 3 stars in 2023–2024 to 83rd percentile and 4 stars in 2025–2026, with grade 5 math at 86.96%; it also has the smallest classes at a 12.0 student-teacher ratio. Elkhorn Area High posts a 96.9% graduation rate and 0.4% dropout rate, both better than district and state, with all listed tests above state levels.

Elsewhere the picture is more mixed. Jackson Elementary reports 0.0% chronic absenteeism but slipped to 416 of 1,039 (60th percentile, 3 stars), down from the 81st and 85th percentiles in prior years. Elkhorn Area Middle holds steady at about the 60th percentile with 3 stars, though grade 8 science (49.29%) fell below the state's 51.86%. Elkhorn Options Virtual School has no rank, extremely low absenteeism at 0.3% and strong ELA proficiency (75%–87.5% in grades 3–8), but an 82.6% graduation rate and 2.7% dropout rate worse than district and state. Career and College Academy ranks 403 of 533 (24th percentile, 1 star) with the lowest per-student spending ($5,491) and largest classes (25.8 ratio), yet reports a 92.7% graduation rate and 0.0% dropout rate.