Summary
Darlington Elementary/Middle is a public PK–8 school in the small southwest Wisconsin community of Darlington, serving 636 students in the Darlington Community School District, and it is noticeably larger than every nearby elementary school it is compared with. The district ranks 167th of 432 in Wisconsin (61st percentile, 3 stars), and the school itself ranked 452nd of 1,039 in 2025–2026 (56th percentile, 3 stars). Because the nearby schools — such as Mineral Point Elementary, Cuba City Elementary, and Black Hawk Elementary — serve only grades PK–5 or PK–6, direct comparisons in grades 7 and 8 are limited.
Results are mixed by grade and subject. In 2025–2026, Darlington was above the state in 3 of 6 ELA grades, 4 of 6 math grades, 1 of 2 social studies grades, and 1 of 2 science grades. Grade 5 math (66.67% proficient vs. 51.81% state), grade 6 ELA and math, and grade 8 math and science were strengths. Grade 7 was a weak spot, with ELA at 39.06% and math at 45.31%, and grade 4 science at 43.66% trails almost every nearby school except Shullsburg Elementary (36.84%). Chronic absenteeism is a standout: 5.4% in 2024–2025, far below the state's 17.3% and lower than most neighbors.
About 48% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, per-pupil spending was $14,363 in 2024–2025 (below most nearby districts), and the student–teacher ratio of 14.1 is the highest in the comparison group. Overall rankings have improved from the 41st percentile in 2022–2024 to the 56th percentile in 2025–2026, though still below earlier peaks. That improvement masks gaps: school effectiveness ratings rose for the student body overall and for boys and girls, but remain lower for low-income students (40th percentile, 2 stars), English learners (29th percentile, 1 star), and special education students (17th percentile, 1 star), with the latter two falling sharply from prior years. That is the clearest area for parents to ask about.
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