Best Public Schools in Elm Grove, WI

Elm Grove, Wisconsin, has two public schools—Tonawanda Elementary (PK–5) and Pilgrim Park Middle (6–8)—both in the Elmbrook School District, which ranks 9th of 432 Wisconsin districts. Pilgrim Park Middle ranks 14th of 643 middle schools (98th percentile, 5 stars) and has improved from 40th over three years. Tonawanda Elementary ranks 24th of 1,039 elementary schools (98th percentile, 5 stars) and has been consistently in the top 2–4% of state elementary schools. These schools are not isolated outliers but part of a top-2% district, and their proficiency rates are dramatically above state averages.

In current test proficiency, Pilgrim Park Middle's scores range from 76.67% to 86.39%, while Tonawanda Elementary's range from 71.43% to 91.14%. Against the state, gaps range from about +19.62 to +38.27 points. Pilgrim Park Middle is stronger in math overall (83.61% vs. 80.55%), while Tonawanda Elementary is stronger in ELA, social studies, and science in this grade mix. Tonawanda Elementary's 4th grade is the strongest cluster: math 91.14%, ELA 89.87%, social studies 88.61%, and science 84.81%—all above district and state. Its 5th-grade math is the lowest current score at 71.43%, which is 8.49 points below district but still 19.62 points above state. Chronic absenteeism is exceptionally low: Tonawanda Elementary at 1.2% and Pilgrim Park Middle at 2.6%, compared to district 3.1% and state 17.3%. Resources are similar: per-student spending is $14,245 at Pilgrim Park Middle and $14,080 at Tonawanda Elementary, with student-teacher ratios of 14.6 and 15.2, respectively.

Pilgrim Park Middle is larger (898 students), steadily improving in rank, and strong in middle-level math and ELA, with a dropout rate of 0.1% versus the state’s 1.1%. Tonawanda Elementary is smaller (533 students), has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the data set, and posts outstanding 4th-grade results, though 5th-grade math is a relative weak point. Year-over-year, Tonawanda Elementary's overall average across reported tests rose 4.64 points versus 1.64 at Pilgrim Park Middle, but these are grade-level comparisons, not individual student growth, so cohort differences matter. Elm Grove’s two schools are both 5-star, top-2% schools in a top-2% district, with proficiency far above Wisconsin averages across nearly every test.