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Crestwood Elementary

Q: Is Crestwood Elementary a good school?

Crestwood Elementary ranks 231 st of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

231^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Crestwood Elementary is a PK–5 school in Madison, Wisconsin, serving 293 students as part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. In 2025–2026 it ranked 231st of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools (78th percentile, 4 stars), placing it in the top quarter statewide even though its district ranks in the 26th percentile (321st of 432 districts). A decade ago Crestwood sat at the 28th percentile with 1 star, so the improvement has been long and substantial, with a brief dip in 2022–2024 before rebounding to 82nd percentile in 2024–2025 and 78th in 2025–2026.

Academically, Crestwood's 2025–2026 Forward Exam proficiency was above both district and state averages in every subject and grade reported — ELA, math, social studies and science. Highlights include 78.13% proficiency in 5th-grade ELA (versus 49.55% district and 53.63% state) and 73.08% in 3rd-grade math (versus 47.09% district). Chronic absenteeism has also improved sharply, from 30.8% in 2022–2023 to 16.8% in 2024–2025, which is better than the district's 29.6% and slightly better than the state's 17.3%, though still higher than Shorewood Hills Elementary (10.9%) and Van Hise Elementary (10.7%).

Locally, Crestwood is not the top performer: Shorewood Hills Elementary (99th percentile, 5 stars) and Van Hise Elementary generally score higher, as do Elm Lawn Elementary and Northside Elementary in the neighboring Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. But Crestwood is clearly ahead of Thoreau Elementary, Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School, Stephens Elementary and Muir Elementary, and competitive with Sauk Trail Elementary. Spending is high at $22,675 per student, with a student-teacher ratio of 11.8. The main area to watch is subgroup results: students with disabilities (35th percentile) and low-income students (41st percentile) rank lower than the school overall, though low-income results have climbed from the 2nd percentile in 2023–2024.

293

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,675

Per pupil spending ?

24.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

≥ 95%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

5930 Old Sauk Rd
Madison, WI 53705-2599

(608) 204-1120

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Students who attend Crestwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School
	Spring Harbor Middle
High:	Vel Phillips Memorial High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.8%

Hispanic:

14.0%

African American:

10.9%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Crestwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 28th percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (69% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Wisconsin elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 50 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg49%

Wisconsin avg55%

231^st of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 49 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 29Elementary Schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District

321^st of 432Madison Metropolitan School District among Wisconsin districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	75.8	231 of 1039	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	190 of 1044	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	414 of 1061	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	424 of 1067	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.4	324 of 1067	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.5	261 of 1050	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	331 of 1037	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	376 of 1025	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.5	662 of 1071	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.4	769 of 1075	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.6	925 of 1076	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	66.8	309 of 1061	70.9%	★★★★☆
2013	60.6	416 of 1053	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	31.1	869 of 1045	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	56.7	546 of 1046	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.8	643 of 1045	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.0	375 of 1030	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	80.0	89 of 1021	91.3%	★★★★★
2007	77.8	116 of 689	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	70.3	225 of 712	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.2	292 of 632	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	63.4	269 of 633	57.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	80.9	14 of 150	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	22.1	128 of 138	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	67.1	32 of 161	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	27.7	125 of 165	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	41 of 245	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.2	51 of 249	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	25 of 248	89.9%	★★★★★
2019	74.9	34 of 275	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	54.4	99 of 287	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	90.6	28 of 986	97.2%	★★★★★
2025	83.9	87 of 1001	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	63.6	400 of 1011	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.3	468 of 1010	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.5	490 of 1017	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.1	229 of 1004	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.0	315 of 1002	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.2	246 of 997	75.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	56.1	123 of 331	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.2	209 of 296	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.6	241 of 274	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.7	152 of 266	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.1	182 of 271	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	44.8	500 of 848	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.1	680 of 870	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.4	846 of 866	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	841 of 871	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.5	798 of 859	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.8	783 of 847	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	791 of 874	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	751 of 854	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	65.9	345 of 989	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.3	224 of 1000	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	387 of 1012	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.2	379 of 1011	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.5	225 of 1017	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	65.7	320 of 1003	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.7	320 of 1002	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	502 of 997	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	35.6	517 of 791	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.9	620 of 770	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	62.7	201 of 748	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	79.6	71 of 746	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	20.7	649 of 742	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.2	346 of 721	52.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	86.7	43 of 697	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	94.5	4 of 718	99.4%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	44 of 727	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	83.1	68 of 715	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	79.5	104 of 704	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	115 of 699	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	50 of 718	93.0%	★★★★★
2018	82.2	78 of 686	88.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)97th percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)94th percentile+16 vs school

African American (2026)91st percentile+13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)83rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)65th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2024)63rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)41st percentile-37 vs school

Special Education (2026)35th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts70%+17 vs state

Mathematics69%+16 vs state

Social Studies69%+4 vs state

Science64%+11 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, August 15, 2019

deep issues with in-equity. Principal thought it perfectly ok to create two classrooms of 26 learners in each, knowing the wide range of behavioral issues and advanced learning , and ESL students. One teacher for 26 students in a crucial developmental year. Lots of parents spoke up, and were lied to about the teachers having support. Formal complaints filed down town. Awaiting the results. The amount of staff turnover is sad--but understandable under this "leadership." School Data shows that over half the staff are afraid to speak up for fear of professional risk. It's palpable when you walk in that the climate is NOT healthy. My learner was among 52 learners that had a stressful, overwhelming year stuck in a ballooned classroom, with one teacher who was denied help. We have data and family testimonials, families gathered in solidarity because the school was so unbearable Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, March 10, 2017

Amazing school, teachers, atmosphere, don't let the average test scores fool you. Close Quote

Schools Near Crestwood Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Crestwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5930 Old Sauk Rd	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1120	293	25	11.8	24.2%	181 (61.8%)	32 (10.9%)	41 (14.0%)	14 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.2%)	75.8	231^st of 1039 public elementary schools	77.8%		78.1	190^th of 1044 public elementary schools	81.8%	41	69.2	64.3	78.1	73.1	64.3	68.8	69.1	64.3	≥ 95%		$22,675	$724	$21,951
Stephens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	120 S Rosa Rd	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1900	447	43	10.3	44.1%	187 (41.8%)	52 (11.6%)	133 (29.8%)	37 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.5%)	46.7	637^th of 1039 public elementary schools	38.7%		48.7	603^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	42.2%	34	46.3	47.7	55.6	55.6	40.9	55.6	54.6	40.9	90%		$23,727	$492	$23,236
Muir Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6602 Inner Dr	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 663-8170	377	37	10.0	50.9%	121 (32.1%)	119 (31.6%)	37 (9.8%)	57 (15.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.4%)	43.9	672^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	35.3%		55.8	514^th of 1044 public elementary schools	50.8%	158	41.8	51.3	58.5	50.9	40.0	51.2	53.9	47.5	86%		$22,618	$1,392	$21,225
Elm Lawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6701 Woodgate Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9070	313	28	11.3	14.7%	224 (71.6%)	19 (6.1%)	27 (8.6%)	24 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.1%)	85.3	87^th of 1039 public elementary schools	91.6%		89.7	34^th of 1044 public elementary schools	96.7%	53	71.6	75.7		75.7	80.0		81.4	77.1	91%		$17,665	$787	$16,878
Van Hise Elementary	Public	K-5	4747 Waukesha St	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-4800	396	28	13.9	16.7%	234 (59.1%)	22 (5.6%)	42 (10.6%)	50 (12.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (11.9%)	86.2	79^th of 1039 public elementary schools	92.4%		84.1	106^th of 1044 public elementary schools	89.8%	27	61.5	81.3	79.7	75.0	76.3	78.3	85.5	79.0	88%		$16,268	$491	$15,777
Sauk Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2205 Branch St	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 829-9190	360	39	9.1	41.9%	164 (45.6%)	38 (10.6%)	100 (27.8%)	30 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.8%)	58.4	469^th of 1039 public elementary schools	54.9%		60.6	451^st of 1044 public elementary schools	56.8%	18	47.8	57.7		55.2	56.0		71.4	60.0	88%		$21,050	$1,275	$19,774
Shorewood Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1105 Shorewood Blvd	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1200	368	32	11.5	24.2%	175 (47.6%)	15 (4.1%)	35 (9.5%)	104 (28.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.3%)	94.5	6^th of 1039 public elementary schools	99.4%		94.8	7^th of 1044 public elementary schools	99.3%	1	86.3	80.9	96.3	87.5	91.8	96.3	89.8	83.7	≥ 95%		$18,912	$498	$18,414
Midvale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	502 Caromar Dr	Madison	53711	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-6700	372	36	10.4	42.2%	165 (44.4%)	38 (10.2%)	124 (33.3%)	17 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.5%)								(n/a)									93%		$24,845	$493	$24,352
Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6323 Woodington Way	Madison	53711	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2180	455	43	10.4	50.8%	157 (34.5%)	84 (18.5%)	140 (30.8%)	25 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (9.9%)	39.7	726^th of 1039 public elementary schools	30.1%		32.5	789^th of 1044 public elementary schools	24.4%	63	40.4	49.3	60.0	42.1	36.6	55.0	49.3	43.7	90%		$21,201	$1,075	$20,126
Thoreau Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3870 Nakoma Rd	Madison	53711	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-6940	403	37	10.9	43.4%	206 (51.1%)	56 (13.9%)	103 (25.6%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.2%)	54	545^th of 1039 public elementary schools	47.5%		64.3	395^th of 1044 public elementary schools	62.2%	150	49.2	61.0	48.3	52.4	57.6	41.4	67.8	62.7	75%		$21,138	$633	$20,505

Frequently Asked Questions about Crestwood Elementary

Is Crestwood Elementary a good school?

Crestwood Elementary ranks 231^st of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Crestwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Crestwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School
Middle : Spring Harbor Middle
High : Vel Phillips Memorial High School

What is the racial makeup of Crestwood Elementary?

Students at Crestwood Elementary are 62% White, 14% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What district is Crestwood Elementary in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

How many students attend Crestwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 293 students attended Crestwood Elementary.

Rate Crestwood Elementary!

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

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.