West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District operates 15 schools, including 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district as a whole is ranked 395 out of 426 districts in Wisconsin and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Within the district, a few standout schools emerge. Walker Elementary consistently performs above the district and state averages on standardized tests, with 60%+ proficiency rates in many subject areas, and is the highest-ranked elementary school in the district. Mitchell Elementary is another strong performer, with high proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, often exceeding 60%, and is the second-highest ranked elementary school. The James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School, an alternative high school, has the highest proficiency rates in Social Studies among the high schools in the district, outperforming the district and state averages.

However, the district faces significant challenges, with wide performance gaps and socioeconomic disparities among its schools. The district's 10th-grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are 10-20 percentage points lower than the state average, and schools with higher percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients tend to have lower academic performance. While some elementary schools excel, others struggle to meet state proficiency levels, and the middle and high schools also face challenges, with lower proficiency rates and lower rankings compared to their elementary counterparts. Despite these challenges, the data suggests that with the right strategies and interventions, the district has the potential to improve student outcomes and better serve its diverse student population.