Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Wisconsin rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Mendota Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

890^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Mendota Elementary is a PK–5 neighborhood school in Madison, Wisconsin, serving about 282 students as part of the Madison Metropolitan School District.

Mendota ranks near the bottom of Wisconsin elementary schools: 890th of 1,039 in 2025–2026, or the 14th percentile, with a 1-star rating. This is not a one-year dip — in every year of available data the school has stayed in the bottom quarter of schools statewide, never rising above the 23rd percentile. Test scores trail district and state averages in every subject and grade reported, with the widest gaps in 3rd grade English language arts, 5th grade math, science, and social studies. The most striking challenge is attendance: 45.9% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, compared with 29.6% across the district and 17.3% statewide. About 72.7% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.

Mendota is not the only Madison school serving high-need families, but nearby schools show different results. Lindbergh Elementary and Lake View Elementary have similar or higher poverty rates (77.22% and 73.63%) yet chronic absenteeism in the high 20s rather than near 46%. Academically, Lowell Elementary and Marquette Elementary, in the same district, reach much higher proficiency; Lowell's 4th graders hit 72.22% in reading and 75.93% in science. Further away, Arboretum Elementary in the Waunakee Community School District spends less per student ($16,829 versus Mendota's $23,866) and has larger classes (13.5 students per teacher versus 9.5), yet ranks at the 96th percentile. Within Mendota, results vary widely by student group: low-income students rank at the 9th percentile and English learners at the 13th. Attendance and support for those students look like the clearest places to focus.

282

Students ?

9.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,866

Per pupil spending ?

72.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4002 School Rd
Madison, WI 53704-1999

(608) 204-7840

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Students who attend Mendota Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Black Hawk Middle
High:	East High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.3%

White:

16.3%

Two or more races:

15.6%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Mendota Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (31% vs 55% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 17% Wisconsin)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg49%

Wisconsin avg55%

890^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 10% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^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	17.1	890 of 1039	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	866 of 1044	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	821 of 1061	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	913 of 1067	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.0	967 of 1067	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	937 of 1050	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.3	880 of 1037	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.1	903 of 1025	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.4	951 of 1071	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.0	963 of 1075	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	985 of 1076	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	8.7	977 of 1061	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	11.5	966 of 1053	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	24.0	910 of 1045	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.8	904 of 1046	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	14.6	954 of 1045	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	26.8	880 of 1030	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	22.9	893 of 1021	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	22.6	589 of 689	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	16.1	622 of 712	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.5	476 of 633	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	82 of 150	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.6	39 of 144	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	37 of 137	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	51.7	49 of 138	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.4	88 of 133	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.3	72 of 141	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.4	76 of 161	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.7	116 of 165	29.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	26.2	213 of 245	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	203 of 249	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	199 of 248	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	119 of 275	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.2	198 of 287	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	852 of 986	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.9	802 of 1001	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.4	691 of 1011	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	765 of 1010	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	927 of 1017	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	934 of 1004	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	873 of 1002	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.8	884 of 997	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	10.3	342 of 347	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	45.0	148 of 290	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.1	235 of 296	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.1	166 of 274	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.7	129 of 266	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.3	171 of 271	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	768 of 848	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.7	707 of 870	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.2	626 of 866	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	803 of 871	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.0	848 of 859	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.3	810 of 847	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.4	800 of 874	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	816 of 854	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	21.6	816 of 989	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.2	829 of 1000	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	847 of 1012	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	903 of 1011	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	919 of 1017	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	832 of 1003	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	810 of 1002	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.1	859 of 997	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	36.9	507 of 790	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.9	555 of 770	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.7	627 of 748	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.2	587 of 746	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	235 of 697	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.3	524 of 718	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	69.2	200 of 727	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	43.5	434 of 704	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.6	590 of 699	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	71.3	163 of 718	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	56.7	300 of 686	56.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)66th percentile+52 vs school

African American (2026)45th percentile+31 vs school

Special Education (2024)36th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)17th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)14th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)1st percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies42%-24 vs state

Science33%-21 vs state

English Language Arts29%-24 vs state

Mathematics27%-26 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Mendota Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Mendota Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Mendota Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores 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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mendota Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4002 School Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7840	282	29	9.5	72.7%	46 (16.3%)	139 (49.3%)	40 (14.2%)	10 (3.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (15.6%)	17.1	890^th of 1039 public elementary schools	14.3%		21.3	866^th of 1044 public elementary schools	17.0%	24	16.1	39.5	28.6	22.6	39.5	14.3	41.9	32.6	$23,866	$1,489	$22,376
Lindbergh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4500 Kennedy Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-6500	180	18	9.8	77.2%	32 (17.8%)	57 (31.7%)	36 (20.0%)	18 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (20.6%)	13.7	917^th of 1039 public elementary schools	11.7%		8.9	948^th of 1044 public elementary schools	9.2%	31	6.7	38.5	20.8	6.7	23.1	8.3	50.0	34.6	$28,028	$1,284	$26,744
Gompers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1502 Wyoming Way	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4520	217	24	9.0	49.3%	103 (47.5%)	43 (19.8%)	37 (17.1%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (12.4%)	42.9	687^th of 1039 public elementary schools	33.9%		43.4	675^th of 1044 public elementary schools	35.3%	12	56.0	53.3	50.0	40.0	26.7	34.4	73.3	50.0	$21,970	$831	$21,139
Lake View Elementary	Public	K-5	1802 Tennyson Ln	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4040	292	33	8.9	73.6%	26 (8.9%)	53 (18.2%)	81 (27.7%)	103 (35.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	19.5	867^th of 1039 public elementary schools	16.6%		23	853^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	18.3%	14	23.8	27.8	32.1	31.0	43.4	17.0	57.4	27.8	$24,632	$1,759	$22,873
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2421 E Johnson St	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2000	297	30	9.9	54.2%	128 (43.1%)	80 (26.9%)	44 (14.8%)	7 (2.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.4%)	39.9	724^th of 1039 public elementary schools	30.3%		41.2	712^th of 1044 public elementary schools	31.8%	12	50.0	49.2	41.2	41.7	40.3	38.2	55.6	55.6	$23,216	$1,144	$22,073
Arboretum Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1350 Arboretum Dr	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 849-1800	435	32	13.5	3.2%	367 (84.4%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (4.1%)	19 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.2%)	89.2	45^th of 1039 public elementary schools	95.7%		83.4	121^st of 1044 public elementary schools	88.4%	76	78.2	84.0		80.5	74.5		90.4	77.7	$16,829	$263	$16,566
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3344 Concord Ave	Madison	53714	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-2500	360	35	10.2	66.7%	65 (18.1%)	90 (25.0%)	117 (32.5%)	38 (10.6%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (11.7%)	17.5	887^th of 1039 public elementary schools	14.6%		15.3	904^th of 1044 public elementary schools	13.4%	17	18.6	34.8	29.0	9.3	32.6	31.6	54.4	32.6	$22,157	$1,261	$20,896
Lapham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1045 E Dayton St	Madison	53703	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-4140	182	23	8.0	44.0%	105 (57.7%)	33 (18.1%)	16 (8.8%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (12.6%)								(n/a)									$21,320	$492	$20,829
Sandburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4114 Donald Dr	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7940	410	40	10.2	57.3%	76 (18.5%)	59 (14.4%)	199 (48.5%)	22 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (12.9%)	20.7	858^th of 1039 public elementary schools	17.4%		15.7	902^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	13.6%	44	37.7	38.6	35.9	38.7	22.4	22.2	46.6	32.8	$25,290	$789	$24,502
Lowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	401 Maple Ave	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-6600	329	28	11.7	44.7%	168 (51.1%)	84 (25.5%)	38 (11.6%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.4%)	68.4	340^th of 1039 public elementary schools	67.3%		59.6	467^th of 1044 public elementary schools	55.3%	127	47.8	72.2	62.8	60.9	55.6	58.1	74.1	75.9	$21,086	$695	$20,391

Frequently Asked Questions about Mendota Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Mendota Elementary?

Students at Mendota Elementary are 49% African American, 16% White, 16% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Mendota Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 282 students attended Mendota Elementary.

What district is Mendota Elementary in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

Is Mendota Elementary a good school?

Mendota Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Mendota Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mendota Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Black Hawk Middle
High : East High

Rate Mendota Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin Elementary School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Madison, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mendota Elementary!

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.