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Riverwest Elementary

Q: Is Riverwest Elementary a good school?

Riverwest Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.6% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Riverwest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 244 students attended Riverwest Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Riverwest Elementary?

Students at Riverwest Elementary are 73% African American, 16% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% White.

Q: What schools do graduates of Riverwest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Riverwest Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : King International Baccalaureate Middle Middle : Lincoln Middle Middle : Roosevelt Middle High : Audubon Technology and Communication High High : Bradley Technology High High : King International High : Milwaukee High School of the Arts High : Milwaukee School of Languages High : Reagan College Preparatory High High : Riverside High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1006^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,044 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 4% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Riverwest Elementary is a small public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Milwaukee School District. With just 275 students, the school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Wisconsin, earning a 0 out of 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Riverwest Elementary faces significant challenges, including extremely low academic proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas, far below the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 12-17% of Riverwest students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 21-22% for the district and 51-52% statewide. The school also struggles with alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 61.1% in recent years. Additionally, over 96% of Riverwest students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population facing significant economic disadvantages.

Interestingly, the nearby Gaenslen Elementary, Fratney Elementary, and Holmes Elementary schools also perform poorly and face similar challenges, suggesting that the issues facing Riverwest Elementary are systemic within the district. Despite the high per-student spending at Riverwest, the school's performance has remained consistently poor over the past decade, with no signs of significant improvement.

244

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,537

Per pupil spending ?

88.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2765 N Fratney St
Milwaukee, WI 53212-2607

(414) 267-4400

District: Milwaukee School District

Students who attend Riverwest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	King International Baccalaureate Middle
	Lincoln Middle
	Roosevelt Middle
High:	Audubon Technology and Communication High
	Bradley Technology High
	King International
	Milwaukee High School of the Arts
	More...
	Milwaukee School of Languages
	Reagan College Preparatory High
	Riverside High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

73.4%

Hispanic:

15.6%

Two or more races:

5.3%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Riverwest Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2015 → 4th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (11% vs 54% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (62% vs 17% Wisconsin)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg22%

Wisconsin avg54%

1,006^th of 1,044

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

73^rd of 106Elementary Schools in the Milwaukee School District

415^th of 426Milwaukee 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
2025	3.1	1006 of 1044	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.5	1028 of 1061	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	1050 of 1067	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.8	1038 of 1067	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.9	997 of 1050	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.5	993 of 1037	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.7	1008 of 1025	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.2	1048 of 1071	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.5	1055 of 1075	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.5	1007 of 1076	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.4	988 of 1061	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	8.7	981 of 1053	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	30.1	878 of 1045	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.6	905 of 1046	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.9	927 of 1045	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	33.9	821 of 1030	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.5	867 of 1021	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	34.5	541 of 689	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	24.8	593 of 712	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	9.5	573 of 632	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	17.5	547 of 633	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	121 of 144	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	94 of 137	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.4	109 of 138	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.4	96 of 141	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.8	112 of 161	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.7	154 of 165	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2018	9.7	286 of 287	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	5.2	946 of 1001	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	964 of 1011	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.7	988 of 1010	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.4	975 of 1017	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	924 of 1004	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.4	933 of 1002	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.4	965 of 997	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	2.3	985 of 1000	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.1	1001 of 1012	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.0	997 of 1011	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.8	1003 of 1017	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.8	972 of 1003	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	987 of 1002	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.9	992 of 997	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	12.9	766 of 802	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	750 of 790	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	753 of 770	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	638 of 748	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.0	664 of 746	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	608 of 742	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.5	623 of 721	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)16th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)5th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile~ school

Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2018)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies17%-47 vs state

English Language Arts14%-37 vs state

Science8%-43 vs state

Mathematics7%-47 vs state

★

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Schools Near Riverwest Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2025)						Forward Exam Mathematics (2025)						Forward Exam Social Studies (2025)		Forward Exam Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Riverwest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2765 N Fratney St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-4400	244	15	16.2	88.5%	12 (4.9%)	179 (73.4%)	38 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.3%)	3.1	1006^th of 1044 public elementary schools	3.6%		2.5	1028^th of 1061 public elementary schools	3.1%	22	17.1	13.9	12.1				8.6	5.6	6.1				16.7		8.3		$15,537	$3,748	$11,789
Holmes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	2463 N Buffum St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-1300	260	19	13.5	98.5%	2 (0.8%)	234 (90.0%)	12 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	13.1	923^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	11.6%		4.9	986^th of 1061 public elementary schools	7.1%	63	44.4	9.5	4.4	8.7	10.0	0.0	72.2	4.8	0.0	0.0	5.0	0.0	42.9	31.3	4.8	6.3	$18,830	$3,751	$15,079
Gaenslen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1250 E Burleigh St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-5700	641	55	11.6	88.3%	19 (3.0%)	521 (81.3%)	58 (9.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.8%)	1.3	1040^th of 1044 public elementary schools	0.4%		1.4	1051^st of 1061 public elementary schools	0.9%	11	3.7	0.0	3.8	2.3	15.8	10.0	5.6	2.2	3.8	0.0	5.2	6.0	6.7	8.0	0.0	8.0	$19,592	$2,455	$17,137
Fratney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3255 N Fratney St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-1100	459	23	19.8	62.3%	45 (9.8%)	65 (14.2%)	333 (72.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	7.6	954^th of 1044 public elementary schools	8.6%		12.7	935^th of 1061 public elementary schools	11.9%	19	14.6	20.0	27.6				12.3	13.0	20.0				31.1		19.6		$15,670	$2,766	$12,905
King Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3275 N 3rd St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-1500	277	18	15.0	92.1%	0 (0.0%)	243 (87.7%)	20 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	2.8	1010^th of 1044 public elementary schools	3.3%		2	1040^th of 1061 public elementary schools	2.0%	30	11.1	16.7	7.4	19.1	7.1	4.8	5.6	0.0	0.0	4.8	6.7	0.0	20.8	9.5	8.3	4.8	$17,347	$3,705	$13,642
Carver Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	1900 N 1st St	Milwaukee	53212	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-0500	324	20	15.8	94.4%	2 (0.6%)	300 (92.6%)	10 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	3.5	998^th of 1044 public elementary schools	4.4%		3.6	1009^th of 1061 public elementary schools	4.9%	11	25.0	10.7	11.1	3.2	15.8	12.0	21.4	0.0	7.4	0.0	10.5	0.0	14.8	16.0	3.6	0.0	$15,188	$2,589	$12,599
Maryland Montessori	Public	PK, KG-8	2418 N Maryland Ave	Milwaukee	53211	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 906-4800	470	23	20.2	24.9%	281 (59.8%)	69 (14.7%)	49 (10.4%)	17 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (11.3%)	67.4	355^th of 1044 public elementary schools	66.0%		63.3	432^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	59.3%	77	70.8	81.6	65.0	68.3	80.0	61.9	45.8	44.7	45.0	56.1	60.0	52.4	84.2	83.3	71.1	73.8	$11,728	$1,898	$9,830
Hartford Avenue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	2227 E Hartford Ave	Milwaukee	53211	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 906-4700	256	16	15.6	93.0%	4 (1.6%)	214 (83.6%)	13 (5.1%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.2%)	3.5	997^th of 1044 public elementary schools	4.5%		1.5	1049^th of 1061 public elementary schools	1.1%	52	9.1	15.8	0.0	8.7	18.2	3.5	8.3	5.3	3.7	17.4	0.0	3.6	21.1	20.7	21.1	0.0	$13,201	$2,093	$11,107
Cass Street Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1647 N Cass St	Milwaukee	53202	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 212-2700	312	17	18.4	92.6%	6 (1.9%)	267 (85.6%)	18 (5.8%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.4%)	2.2	1023^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	2.0%		2.4	1030^th of 1061 public elementary schools	2.9%	7	10.0	0.0	6.3	14.8	17.2	8.3	16.7	0.0	3.1	3.7	13.8	4.2	0.0	21.7	0.0	8.3	$16,838	$2,733	$14,105
LaFollette Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3239 N 9th St	Milwaukee	53206	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 267-5200	216	11	20.0	94.9%	0 (0.0%)	191 (88.4%)	15 (6.9%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)	1.4	1037^th of 1044 public elementary schools	0.7%		1.4	1052^nd of 1061 public elementary schools	0.8%	15	0.0	10.0	0.0	3.6	0.0	6.3	0.0	10.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	13.3	10.0	6.3	$20,323	$4,533	$15,790

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverwest Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Riverwest Elementary?

Students at Riverwest Elementary are 73% African American, 16% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% White.

How many students attend Riverwest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 244 students attended Riverwest Elementary.

What district is Riverwest Elementary in?

Milwaukee School District

Is Riverwest Elementary a good school?

Riverwest Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.6% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Riverwest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Riverwest Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : King International Baccalaureate Middle
Middle : Lincoln Middle
Middle : Roosevelt Middle
High : Audubon Technology and Communication High
High : Bradley Technology High
High : King International
High : Milwaukee High School of the Arts
High : Milwaukee School of Languages
High : Reagan College Preparatory High
High : Riverside High

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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.