Summary:
The Waunakee Community School District in Wisconsin serves elementary students at three schools — Waunakee Heritage Elementary (PK–4, 537 students), Waunakee Prairie Elementary (K–4, 531 students), and Arboretum Elementary (PK–4, 435 students) — enrolling 1,503 children combined in a district ranked 27th of 432 statewide (94th percentile, 5 stars). Every one of these schools beats the Wisconsin average in every reported subject and grade, so families here are choosing among strong options rather than between good and struggling schools.
Arboretum Elementary is the current academic leader, ranking 45th of 1,039 schools (96th percentile, 5 stars) in 2025–2026 and posting the top marks in ELA, 3rd-grade Math, Social Studies, and Science. Waunakee Heritage Elementary has improved dramatically, rising from 255th of 1,061 in 2023–2024 to 106th of 1,039 in 2025–2026, and it earned the highest 4th-grade Math score (74.53%). Waunakee Prairie Elementary ranked 192nd of 1,039 (82nd percentile, 4 stars), down from 83rd in 2023–2024; its 3rd-grade results remain competitive with its peers, but its 4th-grade scores in ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science trail them.
Chronic absenteeism is low at all three schools: Prairie 7.0%, Heritage 8.2%, and Arboretum 9.9% — all better than the district's 11.6% and far better than the state's 17.3%. Notably, no single factor lines up neatly with achievement. Arboretum spends the least ($16,829) and has the largest classes (13.5 students per teacher) yet scores highest, while Heritage has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (15.64%) and the highest spending ($17,867) yet shows the strongest improvement. Rankings also swing considerably from year to year, which likely reflects differences in each tested class rather than steady long-term trends.
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