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Isthmus Montessori Academy Public

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12
765th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,039 Wisconsin Alternative Schools
Better than 26% of Wisconsin alternative schools
Summary

Isthmus Montessori Academy Public is a small alternative public school at 1802 Pankratz St. in Madison, WI, serving 210 students in grades PK–12 as part of the Isthmus Montessori Academy Inc district — a district whose reported figures mirror the school's, suggesting it operates essentially as a single-school district.

Only one nearby school appears in the data: Mendota Mental Health Institution, about 2.6 miles away and part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services district. It is far smaller, with 18 students in grades K–12 and a student-teacher ratio of 9, compared with 15.2 at Isthmus Montessori in 2024-25 (down from 26.5 in 2022-23). But Mendota reports no test scores, attendance, dropout, or free/reduced lunch data, so it cannot serve as a real academic benchmark. The clearest bright spots are attendance and persistence: chronic absenteeism fell from 24.0% in 2022-23 to 14.9% and then 2.1% in 2024-25, well below Wisconsin's 17.3%, while the dropout rate dropped from 7.1% to 4.1% to 0.0%, below the state's 1.1%. Reported free/reduced lunch rose sharply from 4.09% to 17.62% between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Academically, results are mixed. Middle-grade outcomes are strong: in 2025-26, 8th graders scored 80% proficient in ELA, 60% in math, 80% in social studies, and 80% in science, all above state averages. The main weak spots are the early elementary grades — 3rd grade ELA and math each at 21.43%, versus state averages of 52.08% and 54.75%, and 4th grade math at 20% versus 52.87%. Math results have also swung widely from year to year, and with only 210 students schoolwide, grade-level percentages rest on small groups of students, so any single year's numbers should be read with caution.

210
Students ?
15.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
17.6%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 1802 Pankratz St
       Madison, WI  53704-4069

(608) 661-8200

District: Isthmus Montessori Academy Inc

Racial breakdown:

White:
67.6%
Hispanic:
14.3%
Two or more races:
11.4%
more
 See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

 Compare Isthmus Montessori Academy Public to nearby alternative schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 30th percentile in 2023 → 55th in 2026
Strengths
✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2023
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (47% vs 55% meeting standards)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Mathematics scores 17 pts below the Wisconsin average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school47%
District avg47%
Wisconsin avg55%
Elementary school
765th of 1,039
Wisconsin public elementary schools ?
Bottom 26%▼ down 3 pts since 2023
From bottom 30% (2023) to bottom 26% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
290th of 643
Wisconsin public middle schools ?
Top 45%▼ down 8 pts since 2023
From top 37% (2023) to top 45% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202634.4765 of 103926.4%★☆☆☆☆
202551.8567 of 104445.7%★★☆☆☆
202439.8728 of 106131.4%★★☆☆☆
202336.7752 of 106729.5%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202627.1786 of 98620.3%★☆☆☆☆
202535.5736 of 100126.5%★☆☆☆☆
202441.6690 of 101131.8%★★☆☆☆
202344.7634 of 101037.2%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202410.9818 of 8665.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202319.9778 of 87110.7%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202642.0661 of 98933.2%★★☆☆☆
202564.9352 of 100064.8%★★★☆☆
202430.9772 of 101223.7%★☆☆☆☆
202332.6745 of 101126.3%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202631.2532 of 69723.7%★☆☆☆☆
202546.5402 of 71844.0%★★☆☆☆
202422.7615 of 72715.4%★☆☆☆☆
202329.2562 of 71521.4%★☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202657.3290 of 64354.9%★★★☆☆
202578.796 of 62884.7%★★★★☆
202449.1369 of 64142.4%★★☆☆☆
202359.7236 of 64063.1%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202573.0129 of 57377.5%★★★★☆
202338.1385 of 57933.5%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202579.379 of 57786.3%★★★★☆
202336.7392 of 59133.7%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Elementary school
Male (2026)33rd percentile+7 vs school
White (2026)24th percentile-3 vs school
Female (2026)20th percentile-6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2024)6th percentile-26 vs school
Middle school
Male (2025)86th percentile~ school
Female (2025)77th percentile-7 vs school
By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?
Social Studies70%+5 vs state
Science63%+11 vs state
English Language Arts46%-8 vs state
Mathematics36%-17 vs state

1.0
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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Open Quote This school is a heartbreaking failed experiment at the expense of the taxpayer, students, and the good name of Maria Montessori. Madison needs a public Montessori option, but only new leadership can save this endeavor, a school of chaotic classrooms, ignored student needs, and the repeated exploitation of countless young women staff, many of them women of color. Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about Isthmus Montessori Academy Public

Isthmus Montessori Academy Public ranks 765th of 1039 Wisconsin alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Isthmus Montessori Academy Public are 68% White, 14% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 210 students attended Isthmus Montessori Academy Public.

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »
2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026
2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026
2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026
2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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