Wilson Elementary

Wilson Elementary is a PK–5 school at 11001 N Buntrock Ave in Mequon, Wisconsin, serving 558 students as the largest of the three elementary schools in the Mequon-Thiensville School District, one of the strongest districts in the state.

Academically, Wilson is a 5-star school, currently ranked 61st of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools. Test scores run well above state averages — roughly 25 to 30 points higher in math and 16 to 26 points higher in reading. Fourth-grade reading and fourth-grade science are the relative soft spots; science has trailed the district average each reported year, though it has improved every year without a reversal. Within its own district, Wilson is now the steady hand rather than the standout: Oriole Lane Elementary (#25) and Donges Bay Elementary (#36) rank ahead of it, though all three are top-3% schools. Wilson's long view is encouraging: it peaked at #23 statewide in 2015-16, slid for five years, and has now climbed in each of the last four reporting cycles back to #61.

Attendance is where Wilson separates itself most. Its 2.4% chronic absenteeism rate compares with 5.4% for the district and 17.3% statewide — roughly one-seventh the state rate — while nearby Milwaukee schools report rates between 22% and 60%. Wilson spends $15,076 per student with a 14.7-to-1 student-teacher ratio, mid-pack among suburban peers; the Milwaukee schools to the south spend $20,400–$22,000 per student with far lower proficiency. The one metric worth watching is students from low-income families, who ranked in the 35th percentile in 2024-25 — the only group below four stars. That group is small at Wilson, so results swing year to year, but it is the clearest area to track.