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Cesar Chavez Elementary

Q: Is Cesar Chavez Elementary a good school?

Cesar Chavez Elementary ranks 557 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

557^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Cesar Chavez Elementary is a PK–5 school serving 631 students at 3502 Maple Grove Dr on Madison's west side, part of the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), and in 2025–26 it ranked 557th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools (46th percentile, 2 stars) — the strongest showing among the four MMSD schools compared here, ahead of Huegel Elementary, Orchard Ridge Elementary, and Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School.

The school has staged one of the more striking comebacks in this group. After sliding from the 65th percentile in 2017–18 to a low of 28th percentile (1 star) in 2023–24, it gained 18 percentile points in two years — the largest two-year improvement of any school compared. Attendance moved in parallel: chronic absenteeism fell from 28.5% in 2021–22 to 17.8% in 2024–25, essentially matching the statewide rate (17.3%) and running 11.8 points below the district. Academically, Cesar Chavez now beats its district average in all eight tested subject-and-grade areas and tops the state in English language arts in grades 3, 4, and 5. Math is the weak spot: below the state in every grade, with 5th-grade math (45.88%) the lowest cell. Even so, schoolwide ELA and math averages each rose roughly 7 to 10 points over two years.

Resources are worth noting. Cesar Chavez spends $17,710 per student, the least of the traditional public schools in this comparison — Huegel Elementary spends $24,527 (38% more) yet ranks marginally lower. Glacier Edge Elementary in the neighboring Verona Area School District is the closest demographic match, with a nearly identical student–teacher ratio (12.0) and free/reduced-lunch share, yet chronic absenteeism there is 9.3% versus 17.8% here, and its math scores are higher at every grade. One caution: results vary widely between the school's highest- and lowest-performing student groups, and students from low-income families remain in the bottom tenth of the state, which keeps the overall rating at 2 stars.

631

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,710

Per pupil spending ?

32.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3502 Maple Grove Dr
Madison, WI 53719

(608) 442-2000

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Students who attend Cesar Chavez Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Spring Harbor Middle
	Toki Middle
High:	Vel Phillips Memorial High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.6%

Hispanic:

27.3%

African American:

10.9%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Cesar Chavez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 50th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg49%

Wisconsin avg55%

557^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^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	53.1	557 of 1039	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.7	686 of 1044	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	762 of 1061	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.3	581 of 1067	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.9	450 of 1067	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.0	540 of 1050	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.6	379 of 1037	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.5	356 of 1025	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.1	423 of 1071	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	539 of 1075	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.0	306 of 1076	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	70.9	248 of 1061	76.6%	★★★★☆
2013	60.1	429 of 1053	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.6	628 of 1045	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.6	463 of 1046	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.3	453 of 1045	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.5	421 of 1030	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	49.3	655 of 1021	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.1	437 of 689	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.2	526 of 712	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	57.5	345 of 632	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	28.7	505 of 633	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	49.9	56 of 144	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.8	73 of 137	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.9	38 of 138	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	81.5	14 of 133	89.5%	★★★★★
2021	68.0	24 of 141	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	60.8	42 of 161	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	33 of 165	80.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	61 of 121	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.2	50 of 116	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.0	29 of 106	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.6	32 of 122	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	62.9	37 of 107	65.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	122 of 245	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.9	174 of 255	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	193 of 269	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	64.9	49 of 249	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	57.7	77 of 248	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.8	159 of 275	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.4	97 of 287	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	530 of 986	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	583 of 1001	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.0	677 of 1011	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.9	531 of 1010	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.3	427 of 1017	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	526 of 1004	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.7	232 of 1002	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.6	289 of 997	71.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	274 of 347	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	261 of 322	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	277 of 331	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.8	149 of 290	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.6	196 of 296	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	175 of 274	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	146 of 266	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.8	165 of 271	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	16.2	769 of 848	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.8	838 of 870	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.6	835 of 866	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.8	760 of 871	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	720 of 859	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	741 of 847	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	718 of 874	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	667 of 854	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	565 of 989	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.6	716 of 1000	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	757 of 1012	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.8	565 of 1011	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.2	417 of 1017	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.2	507 of 1003	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.3	507 of 1002	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.2	405 of 997	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	67.3	28 of 113	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	58.6	49 of 119	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.8	20 of 96	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	94.4	4 of 85	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	64.1	21 of 76	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	94.7	3 of 67	95.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	42.8	439 of 791	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.1	478 of 802	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	560 of 790	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.3	434 of 770	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.2	196 of 748	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	42.6	417 of 746	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.7	202 of 742	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	48.2	353 of 721	51.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	76.7	124 of 697	82.2%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	175 of 718	75.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.0	167 of 727	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.2	136 of 715	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	137 of 704	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	51.0	351 of 699	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.3	94 of 718	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.6	101 of 686	85.3%	★★★★☆

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)82nd percentile+36 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)75th percentile+41 vs school

African American (2025)61st percentile+27 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)50th percentile+4 vs school

Asian (2026)50th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)43rd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies66%~ state avg

Science58%+5 vs state

English Language Arts55%~ state avg

Mathematics49%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cesar Chavez 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 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cesar Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3502 Maple Grove Dr	Madison	53719	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 442-2000	631	53	12.0	32.3%	294 (46.6%)	69 (10.9%)	172 (27.3%)	47 (7.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.6%)	53.1	557^th of 1039 public elementary schools	46.4%		42.7	686^th of 1044 public elementary schools	34.3%	129	54.2	57.0	54.1				51.8	48.1	45.9				65.8		58.2		$17,710	$552	$17,158
Huegel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 Prairie Rd	Madison	53711	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-3100	417	39	10.8	37.9%	218 (52.3%)	69 (16.5%)	69 (16.5%)	19 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.8%)	51.8	567^th of 1039 public elementary schools	45.4%		46.5	637^th of 1044 public elementary schools	39.0%	70	68.1	59.4	50.0				63.8	51.6	41.2				54.7		50.0		$24,527	$644	$23,883
Sugar Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	740 N Main Street	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 845-4700	645	52	12.3	29.9%	380 (58.9%)	24 (3.7%)	172 (26.7%)	14 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.5%)	65.9	375^th of 1039 public elementary schools	63.9%		63.1	411^th of 1044 public elementary schools	60.6%	36	57.8	61.3	58.9				61.4	68.2	55.4				70.1		61.7		$18,541	$464	$18,076
New Century School	Public, Charter	K-5	400 N Main Street	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 845-4900	122	8	15.2	6.6%	96 (78.7%)	3 (2.5%)	9 (7.4%)	6 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.6%)	80.7	145^th of 1039 public elementary schools	86.0%		85.9	78^th of 1044 public elementary schools	92.5%	67	81.0	58.8	76.2				81.0	76.5	71.4				70.6		64.7		$21,693	$271	$21,421
Verona Area International School	Public, Charter	K-5	400 N Main Street	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 845-4200	113	8	14.1	5.3%	57 (50.4%)	1 (0.9%)	9 (8.0%)	7 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (32.7%)	85.9	83^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	92.0%		75.8	222^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	78.7%	139	100.0	100.0	72.7				94.1	60.0	54.6				93.3		93.3		$20,462	$271	$20,191
Core Knowledge Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	300 Richard Street	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	Yes	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 845-4130	417	23	18.1	10.6%	319 (76.5%)	16 (3.8%)	28 (6.7%)	35 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	77.1	210^th of 1039 public elementary schools	79.8%		82.4	126^th of 1044 public elementary schools	87.9%	84	51.2	69.6	75.0	71.2	92.3	84.3	46.3	73.9	68.2	75.0	88.5	80.4	93.5	92.2	71.7	80.4	$15,398	$271	$15,127
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		$20,250	$1,176	$19,074
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		$21,201	$1,075	$20,126
Country View Elementary	Public	K-5	710 Lone Pine Way	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 845-4800	382	34	11.3	29.3%	216 (56.5%)	47 (12.3%)	76 (19.9%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.1%)	56	515^th of 1039 public elementary schools	50.4%		62.7	419^th of 1044 public elementary schools	59.9%	96	49.2	62.9	66.7				52.5	50.0	57.9				59.7		51.6		$19,382	$672	$18,710
Glacier Edge Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Kimball Lane	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 497-2100	462	38	12.0	32.0%	254 (55.0%)	9 (1.9%)	178 (38.5%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	53.2	555^th of 1039 public elementary schools	46.6%		54.2	540^th of 1044 public elementary schools	48.3%	15	56.8	53.1	54.1				62.2	50.0	53.3				62.2		46.3		$18,700	$521	$18,179

Frequently Asked Questions about Cesar Chavez Elementary

What schools do graduates of Cesar Chavez Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cesar Chavez Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Spring Harbor Middle
Middle : Toki Middle
High : Vel Phillips Memorial High School

How many students attend Cesar Chavez Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 631 students attended Cesar Chavez Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cesar Chavez Elementary?

Students at Cesar Chavez Elementary are 47% White, 27% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

Is Cesar Chavez Elementary a good school?

Cesar Chavez Elementary ranks 557^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Cesar Chavez Elementary in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 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.