Best Public Schools in Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 169 schools serving elementary, middle, high, and alternative grades, with performance ranging from top-ranked to deeply struggling. The area is dominated by Milwaukee School District (MPS), which ranks 418 out of 432 statewide (3rd percentile, 0 stars), but this low rating masks huge variation. Other systems include Fox Point J2 School District (rank 2 of 432, 5 stars) and Downtown Montessori Academy Inc (rank 81 of 432, 4 stars). Enrollment ranges from 22 to 1,974, spending from about $8,407 to $65,500, and free/reduced lunch from 6.34% to 100%.

High-performing standouts include Stormonth Elementary and Bayside Middle (Fox Point J2), both 99th percentile, 5 stars, with proficiency above 90% and chronic absenteeism under 5%. In MPS, Reagan College Preparatory High (89th percentile, 4 stars) has 98.8% graduation and 0.2% dropout. HAPA-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 is a rare outlier: 89.01% free/reduced lunch, 1,974 enrollment, yet 100% graduation, 0.1% dropout, and 10.4% chronic absenteeism. Golda Meir School (99.2% graduation) and Downtown Montessori (8.2% chronic absenteeism) also excel. MPS magnet/immersion/Montessori schools often outperform the district.

Many MPS high schools struggle. North Division High has 42.7% graduation, 88.4% chronic absenteeism, and 0% ACT math. Marshall High, Pulaski High, and Obama School of Career and Technical Education show similar patterns. Chronic absenteeism reaches 70–100% at alternative schools like Transition High, South Accelerated Academy, and Groppi High. Spending and student-teacher ratio are not straightforward predictors: Lad Lake Synergy School spends $65,500 with a 4.4 ratio but 14.2% graduation, while Dr Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy has a 60.8 ratio yet 91.2% graduation. Data caveats: spending years vary and some scores use small cohorts.