Summary
LaFollette Elementary is a PK–8 school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving 216 students in the Milwaukee School District — a district that itself ranks near the bottom statewide — and it sits at the extreme low end even within that district, ranking 1,033rd of 1,039 Wisconsin schools (1st percentile) in 2025–26 with 0 stars every year on record.
Economic need is very high: 94.91% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, and per-student spending is $22,481, up from $16,655 in 2019–20. Test proficiency is at crisis levels. In 2025–26, ELA proficiency was 0% in 3rd and 4th grade, 10% in 5th, 14.29% in 6th, 5.26% in 7th and 10% in 8th. Math was 0% in 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th, 10% in 5th and 5.56% in 7th. Science was 0% in 4th and 10% in 8th; social studies was 5.26% in 4th but 30% in 8th — a clear bright spot. By contrast, district averages ran roughly 21–30% in ELA, 18–24% in math, 35% in social studies and 22–26% in science. Chronic absenteeism was 61.7% in 2024–25 — improved from 81.3% in 2021–22, but still far above the district's 46.2% and about three times the state's 17.3%. The dropout rate was 2.7%, below the district's 4.0% but above the state's 1.1%. Special education students ranked at the 0th percentile statewide.
Nearby schools offer useful context. Holmes Elementary, with even higher poverty, posted 44% proficiency in 3rd-grade ELA and math; Fratney Elementary generally scores higher as well. Most striking is Milwaukee College Preparatory School: Lola Rowe North Campus, about 1.18 miles away and also PK–8 with 84.48% free/reduced lunch, where chronic absenteeism is 17.8% and proficiency often reaches state averages. LaFollette spends more per student than Milwaukee College Prep or Fratney yet posts more 0% grades than most neighbors, suggesting spending alone is not the deciding factor — attendance, school climate and instructional quality appear to matter more.
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