Summary:
New Berlin School District operates four elementary schools — Ronald Reagan Elementary, Elmwood Elementary, Poplar Creek Elementary, and Orchard Lane Elementary — serving about 2,203 students in grades PK–6 in this suburban Milwaukee community. The district ranks 29th of 432 Wisconsin districts, and all four schools score far above the state average; even the lowest performer runs roughly 19 points above it on combined proficiency. The real differences here are between the schools, not between this district and the rest of the state.
Poplar Creek is the strongest all-around profile: highest 2025-26 proficiency, top-75 state rankings two years running, the district's best grade-4 results in all four tested subjects, and the lowest student-teacher ratio (14.4). Elmwood is the fastest riser, climbing 69 spots to #62 statewide, with the district's top grade-6 reading and math scores. Orchard Lane is the smallest school but the steadiest climber, improving three years straight (#271 to #141) and leading the district in grade 3. Ronald Reagan, the largest school, has the strongest history — 23rd statewide in 2024-25 — but fell to #116 this year and is the only school whose scores declined, while still posting the lowest absenteeism (1.2%) and lowest spending.
Two trends are worth watching. Math's usual edge over reading has nearly disappeared district-wide, shrinking from +6.2 points to +0.7, and Poplar Creek actually flipped to stronger reading. Grade-5 math (68.59) is the softest spot, below every other grade. Per-pupil spending is nearly identical across the four schools ($13,980–$14,255), so dollars do not explain the differences, and attendance is excellent everywhere, ranging from 1.2% to 3.9% against the state's 17.3%.
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