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Stephens Elementary

Q: Is Stephens Elementary a good school?

Stephens Elementary ranks 637 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

637^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Stephens Elementary is a PK–5 school in Madison, WI, serving 447 students as part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, which itself ranks 321st of 432 districts in Wisconsin. Statewide, Stephens currently ranks 637th of 1,039 schools (39th percentile, 2 stars) in 2025–2026, a notable drop from 2021–2022, when it was a 4-star school at the 75th percentile.

Stephens has favorable resources: it spends $23,727 per student and has a 10.3 student-teacher ratio, and chronic absenteeism improved from 31.5% in 2021–2022 to 17.7% in 2024–2025—better than the district’s 29.6% and many same-district peers, including Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School, Orchard Ridge Elementary, Thoreau Elementary, Muir Elementary, and Midvale Elementary. However, poverty has risen, with 44.07% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025. Achievement is mixed: Grade 5 ELA and math are above district and state, while Grade 4 ELA, math, science, and social studies are all below. Science and social studies have slipped recently. The school also reports large differences in how well it serves different student groups; low-income students rank in the 13th percentile, while some other groups rank much higher.

Among nearby schools, Shorewood Hills Elementary (99th percentile), Van Hise Elementary (92nd), Elm Lawn Elementary (92nd), Crestwood Elementary (78th), Sauk Trail Elementary (55th), and Thoreau Elementary (48th) all rank above Stephens (39th). Only Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School (30th), Orchard Ridge Elementary (35th), and Muir Elementary (35th) rank below it. Similar-poverty Sauk Trail Elementary and Thoreau Elementary often outperform Stephens. Overall, Stephens’ strengths are attendance and Grade 5 results; its main concerns are Grade 4 achievement, recent science/social studies declines, and uneven effectiveness across student groups.

447

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,727

Per pupil spending ?

44.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

90%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

120 S Rosa Rd
Madison, WI 53705-4499

(608) 204-1900

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Students who attend Stephens Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.8%

Hispanic:

29.8%

African American:

11.6%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Stephens Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 77th percentile in 2021 → 39th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 77th-percentile peak (2021) to 39th (2026)

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

!Science scores 13 pts below the Wisconsin average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg49%

Wisconsin avg55%

637^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^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	46.7	637 of 1039	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	603 of 1044	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.4	624 of 1061	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.1	411 of 1067	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.1	269 of 1067	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	73.1	244 of 1050	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	50.7	575 of 1037	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.3	490 of 1025	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.5	652 of 1071	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.1	788 of 1075	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	51.0	614 of 1076	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	76.7	167 of 1061	84.3%	★★★★☆
2013	69.4	255 of 1053	75.8%	★★★★☆
2012	68.7	310 of 1045	70.3%	★★★★☆
2011	67.1	324 of 1046	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.3	395 of 1045	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	46.4	693 of 1030	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	67.2	345 of 1021	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.0	286 of 689	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.6	277 of 712	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	58.4	336 of 632	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	21.9	531 of 633	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	58.6	42 of 144	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	42.7	75 of 137	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.6	44 of 138	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.6	32 of 133	75.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	71.6	33 of 116	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	65.0	41 of 110	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	82.3	21 of 106	80.2%	★★★★☆
2019	76.0	33 of 122	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	85.3	20 of 107	81.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	128 of 245	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.7	152 of 255	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	114 of 269	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.3	67 of 249	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	30 of 248	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	44.8	146 of 275	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.6	223 of 287	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	53.4	510 of 986	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.8	518 of 1001	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.6	543 of 1011	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.6	355 of 1010	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.5	282 of 1017	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	236 of 1004	76.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.2	464 of 1002	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.7	408 of 997	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	23.7	295 of 347	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.9	278 of 322	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	260 of 331	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.5	165 of 290	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.0	176 of 296	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.8	76 of 274	72.3%	★★★★☆
2019	21.0	233 of 266	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	239 of 271	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	20.4	739 of 848	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	776 of 870	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	837 of 866	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	726 of 871	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	667 of 859	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	51.4	387 of 847	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	11.7	838 of 874	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.5	810 of 854	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	668 of 989	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.4	642 of 1000	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.0	617 of 1012	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.9	399 of 1011	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.0	263 of 1017	74.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	297 of 1003	70.4%	★★★★☆
2019	45.5	609 of 1002	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.1	536 of 997	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2021	73.8	16 of 85	81.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	320 of 791	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.9	286 of 802	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.8	163 of 790	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	149 of 770	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	159 of 748	78.7%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	174 of 746	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	30.1	542 of 742	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.2	447 of 721	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	218 of 697	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.2	127 of 718	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	60 of 727	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	90.0	25 of 715	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	14 of 704	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	75.8	119 of 699	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	92 of 718	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	55 of 686	92.0%	★★★★★

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)

Multi-racial (2021)81st percentile+4 vs school

Asian (2023)72nd percentile+10 vs school

African American (2025)71st percentile+29 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile+30 vs school

Special Education (2026)60th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile+10 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)48th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)32nd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies55%-11 vs state

Mathematics52%~ state avg

English Language Arts51%-3 vs state

Science41%-13 vs state

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Schools Near Stephens 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Orchard Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5602 Russett Rd	Madison	53711	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2320	265	23	11.3	52.1%	107 (40.4%)	70 (26.4%)	50 (18.9%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.7%)	43.3	680^th of 1039 public elementary schools	34.6%		32.3	793^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	24.0%	113	54.1	53.7	39.0	51.4	51.2	39.0	53.7	51.2	78%		$20,250	$1,176	$19,074
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 Stephens Elementary

How many students attend Stephens Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 447 students attended Stephens Elementary.

What district is Stephens Elementary in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

What is the racial makeup of Stephens Elementary?

Students at Stephens Elementary are 42% White, 30% Hispanic, 12% African American, 9% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

Is Stephens Elementary a good school?

Stephens Elementary ranks 637^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Stephens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Stephens Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 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.