Brown Deer School District

Brown Deer School District in Wisconsin includes two schools: Brown Deer Middle/High, a combined school serving grades 6–12 with 904 students, and Brown Deer Elementary, serving grades PK–5 with 709 students. Together they enroll about 1,613 students. The district is ranked 362 of 432 districts in the state, at the 16th percentile with 1 star, and it serves a high-need population: free/reduced lunch is 55.2% at Middle/High and 57.97% at Elementary. Chronic absenteeism is a districtwide concern at 30.6%, well above the state's 17.3%.

Brown Deer Elementary is the stronger relative performer. It ranks 605 of 1,039 schools (42nd percentile, 2 stars) versus 400 of 533 (25th percentile, 1 star) for Middle/High, and both have improved since 2023–24 — Elementary from the 28th to the 42nd percentile, Middle/High from the 9th to the 25th. Elementary's 3rd grade results are its standout: 80.73% proficient in math versus 54.75% statewide, and 62.39% in ELA versus 52.08%. Its chronic absenteeism is 22.3%, much lower than Middle/High's 36.5%, though still above the state. However, 5th grade lags: math is 37.61% versus 51.81% state and ELA 44.04% versus 53.63%.

Brown Deer Middle/High has bright spots and serious gaps. 8th grade is at or above state in math (66.40% vs 53.67%), ELA (54.84% vs 54.38%) and social studies (64.46% vs 64.63%), with large year-over-year gains. Graduation is 94.4% and dropout 0.5%, both better than state. But 6th grade math (28.57% vs 53.60%), 7th grade math (37.61% vs 55.67%), and 10th grade ACT math (22.22% vs 42.93%) are far behind, and ACT math fell 10.52 points. The most urgent priorities are chronic absenteeism, middle-grade math and ELA, and 10th grade ACT math.