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!

Sauk Trail Elementary

Q: Is Sauk Trail Elementary a good school?

Sauk Trail Elementary ranks 469 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

469^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Sauk Trail Elementary is a PK–4 school in Middleton, Wisconsin, serving about 360 students as part of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. That district is one of Wisconsin's strongest, ranked 46th of 432 districts (89th percentile, 4 stars). The school itself sits more in the middle: in 2025–2026 it ranked 469th of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools (55th percentile, 3 stars). That is below its own pre-pandemic high, when it ranked 103rd in 2018–2019, though far above its 2020–2021 low of 693rd.

Academically, Sauk Trail is above the state average in most tested areas but below its district average in every one. In 2025–2026, 4th-grade ELA was 57.65% proficient (state: 53.87%), 4th-grade math 55.95% (state: 52.87%), science 60.00% (state: 53.46%), and social studies 71.43% (state: 65.51%). Third-grade math was essentially at the state level, while 3rd-grade ELA — 47.76% versus the state's 52.08% — is the clearest weak spot. Compared with other Middleton schools, Sauk Trail trails Pope Farm Elementary, Elm Lawn Elementary, and Northside Elementary, but it outperforms several Madison schools such as Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School, Muir Elementary, and Stephens Elementary, while ranking below Shorewood Hills Elementary, Van Hise Elementary, and Crestwood Elementary.

Two things stand out about Sauk Trail's student population. Its free/reduced lunch rate is 41.94%, far above nearby Middleton schools like Pope Farm Elementary (7.81%) and closer to some Madison schools. At the same time, it is well resourced: $21,050 per pupil and a student-teacher ratio of 9.1 — the lowest among nearby schools. Attendance has improved dramatically, with chronic absenteeism falling from 30.3% in 2020–2021 to 12.2% in 2024–2025, now below both district and state averages. The school's own subgroup ratings are consistently lower for low-income students and English learners, and its special education rating dropped from the 95th to the 55th percentile. For parents, the takeaway is a well-staffed school with real attendance gains that has not yet matched the achievement levels of its higher-ranked district peers.

360

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,050

Per pupil spending ?

41.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2205 Branch St
Middleton, WI 53562-2840

(608) 829-9190

District: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

Students who attend Sauk Trail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Kromrey Middle
High:	Middleton High

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.6%

Hispanic:

27.8%

African American:

10.6%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Sauk Trail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Wisconsin median (55th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg74%

Wisconsin avg55%

469^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

46^th of 432Middleton-Cross Plains Area 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	58.4	469 of 1039	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.6	451 of 1044	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.1	513 of 1061	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.9	340 of 1067	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.8	333 of 1067	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.8	693 of 1050	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.0	103 of 1037	90.1%	★★★★★
2018	71.8	252 of 1025	75.4%	★★★★☆
2017	75.3	214 of 1071	80.0%	★★★★☆
2016	72.0	264 of 1075	75.4%	★★★★☆
2015	70.6	279 of 1076	74.1%	★★★★☆
2014	67.4	299 of 1061	71.8%	★★★★☆
2013	43.5	718 of 1053	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.4	671 of 1045	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.4	604 of 1046	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.7	661 of 1045	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	36.8	800 of 1030	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	40.8	764 of 1021	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	40.8	513 of 689	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	49.5	461 of 712	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	33.6	482 of 632	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	18.5	541 of 633	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	71.9	21 of 144	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	15 of 138	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	95.3	2 of 141	98.6%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	23 of 121	81.0%	★★★★☆
2025	89.3	13 of 116	88.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	157 of 245	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.3	178 of 255	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.3	201 of 269	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.4	123 of 249	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.6	46 of 248	81.5%	★★★★☆
2021	40.6	115 of 222	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	84.4	24 of 275	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	80.8	32 of 287	88.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	55.6	495 of 1001	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	554 of 1011	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	69.7	287 of 1010	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	67.3	313 of 1017	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	528 of 1004	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.0	110 of 1002	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.5	381 of 997	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	222 of 347	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.9	253 of 322	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	225 of 331	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	195 of 290	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.1	74 of 296	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	23.7	230 of 274	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	77.5	40 of 266	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	41 of 271	84.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	656 of 848	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.3	731 of 870	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	756 of 866	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	718 of 871	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.1	402 of 859	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.4	734 of 847	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.5	262 of 874	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.3	246 of 854	71.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	63.9	362 of 1000	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.5	421 of 1012	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	391 of 1011	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	355 of 1017	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.2	794 of 1003	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	81.8	111 of 1002	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	155 of 997	84.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	61 of 113	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	79.9	16 of 96	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	61.5	25 of 77	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.2	13 of 76	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	68.1	18 of 67	73.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	352 of 791	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.0	315 of 802	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	89.7	42 of 790	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	55.7	282 of 770	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.1	168 of 748	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	43.2	404 of 746	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.7	154 of 742	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.3	120 of 721	83.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	186 of 697	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	85.0	58 of 718	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	75.9	134 of 727	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	81.8	83 of 715	88.4%	★★★★☆
2022	76.2	122 of 704	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	62.0	242 of 699	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	89.0	37 of 718	94.8%	★★★★★
2018	75.1	133 of 686	80.6%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2025)85th percentile+29 vs school

Asian (2026)81st percentile+26 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)64th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2026)55th percentile~ school

Female (2025)51st percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)46th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)36th percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)36th percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies71%+6 vs state

Science60%+7 vs state

Mathematics56%~ state avg

English Language Arts53%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Sauk Trail 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 Sauk Trail 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
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	$21,050	$1,275	$19,774
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	$17,665	$787	$16,878
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3620 High Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9130	307	25	12.4	19.5%	191 (62.2%)	7 (2.3%)	46 (15.0%)	28 (9.1%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.4%)	79.6	166^th of 1039 public elementary schools	84.0%		79.8	162^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	84.5%	4	65.7	70.2		70.0	67.2		85.1	73.1	$17,823	$795	$17,029
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	$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	$22,618	$1,392	$21,225
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	$23,727	$492	$23,236
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	$16,268	$491	$15,777
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	$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)									$24,845	$493	$24,352
Pope Farm Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	816 Schewe Rd	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 826-7700	448	32	13.8	7.8%	231 (51.6%)	13 (2.9%)	16 (3.6%)	161 (35.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.7%)	89.2	47^th of 1039 public elementary schools	95.5%		92	17^th of 1044 public elementary schools	98.4%	30	80.6	81.1		84.7	77.8		85.6	75.6	$15,433	$403	$15,030

Frequently Asked Questions about Sauk Trail Elementary

Is Sauk Trail Elementary a good school?

Sauk Trail Elementary ranks 469^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sauk Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sauk Trail Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kromrey Middle
High : Middleton High

What district is Sauk Trail Elementary in?

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

How many students attend Sauk Trail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 360 students attended Sauk Trail Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sauk Trail Elementary?

Students at Sauk Trail Elementary are 46% White, 28% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

Rate Sauk Trail Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin Elementary School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Middleton, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sauk Trail 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.