Summary
Wadewitz Elementary is a PK–5 school in Racine, Wisconsin, serving 517 students as part of the Racine Unified School District. The district ranks 411th of 432 districts statewide (5th percentile, 0 stars), and Wadewitz itself ranked 970th of 1,039 schools in 2025–2026 — the 7th percentile with 0 stars, its lowest percentile in a rank history going back to 2015–2016. In most earlier years the school sat around the 9th–12th percentile with 0–1 stars.
The student population is high-need. In 2024–2025, 77.56% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism was 38.1%, compared with 36.5% for the district and 17.3% statewide. Per-student spending was $21,740, with a student–teacher ratio of 11.4. On the 2025–2026 Forward Exam, proficiency was low across subjects: ELA ranged from 11.39% in 3rd grade to 18.52% in 5th grade, math from 11.11% in 5th grade to 25.64% in 3rd grade, 4th-grade social studies was 26.39%, and 4th-grade science was 9.72%. Results declined in nearly every tested area compared with the prior year, with 4th-grade science roughly halving.
Compared with nearby schools, Wadewitz spends the most per student and has a relatively low student–teacher ratio, yet its proficiency rates are near the bottom of that group. Science is a particular weakness: at 9.72%, it falls below same-district peers such as Knapp Elementary (22.95%) and Fratt Elementary (22.06%). Goodland Montessori and Red Apple School post much higher proficiency and lower absenteeism with lower spending, though they serve far fewer low-income students. The clearest relative strength is English Language Learner effectiveness — 35th percentile, 2 stars, stable at 33rd–39th percentile over three years. Third-grade math (25.64%) is slightly above the district, but it does not hold in later grades.
Thank you for your feedback!