Hackett Elementary

Hackett Elementary is a PK–5 school at 625 Eighth St in Beloit, WI, serving 434 students in the Beloit School District, which is ranked 426th of 432 districts in Wisconsin, and it serves a high-poverty community where 74.19% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25.

Academically, Hackett ranks near the bottom of Wisconsin schools — about the 7th percentile in 2025–26, with 0 stars — and its Forward Exam proficiency is generally below both district and state averages. The clear bright spot is 5th grade English language arts, where 35.71% of students were proficient: that is above the district's 26.69% and the highest among same-district Beloit elementaries, though still well below the state's 53.63%. Math is the biggest weakness, with grades 3–5 proficiency between 11% and 16%, compared with around 52–55% statewide; science (11.43%) and social studies (25.71%) are also well below district and state.

Chronic absenteeism is a major barrier: 39.2% of students were chronically absent in 2024–25 — better than the district's 42.7% but more than double the state's 17.3%. Nearby Jackson Elementary and Lincoln Elementary in the Janesville School District serve similarly high-poverty populations (77.88% and 76.29% free/reduced lunch) yet have absenteeism of 15.1% and 11.5% and much higher achievement, while Todd Elementary (26.4%) and Gaston Elementary (31.0%) show lower absenteeism is possible within Beloit. Hackett also spends more per student ($16,601) and has a smaller student–teacher ratio (14.2) than Robinson Elementary, Todd, Gaston, and Converse Elementary, yet generally performs below them, suggesting instruction, attendance, and out-of-school factors matter more here than resources alone. Among student groups, English learners rose to the 31st percentile with 2 stars, while students with disabilities and low-income students remain near the bottom of the state.