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Bethesda Elementary

Q: Is Bethesda Elementary a good school?

Bethesda Elementary ranks 216 th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

216^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Bethesda Elementary is a PK–5 school in Waukesha, WI, serving 401 students as part of the Waukesha School District, and it is performing above the district average and improving over time.

In 2025–2026, Bethesda ranked 216th of 1,039 elementary schools statewide (79th percentile, 4 stars), up from the 50th percentile with 2 stars in 2023–2024 and the 71st percentile with 4 stars in 2024–2025 — its strongest result in the available record. Proficiency is mostly above district and state levels. The standouts are science (72.92% proficient, about 19.5 points above the state) and social studies (81.25%, about 15.7 points above the state). Fourth- and fifth-grade ELA and math also beat district and state averages. The exception is 3rd grade ELA, where 54.17% is below the district's 56.65% but still above the state's 52.08%; 3rd grade math is essentially at district level. Among nearby schools, Meadowbrook Elementary, Rose Glen Elementary, Waukesha STEM Academy, and Summit View Elementary rank higher overall, while Bethesda is ahead of White Rock School, Prairie Elementary, eAchieve Elementary, Lowell Elementary, and Hawthorne Elementary. Bethesda's science results top Meadowbrook, Summit View, and STEM, and its 5th grade math (70.21%) is well above White Rock's 37.04%, making it a more balanced school overall.

Two areas are worth watching. Chronic absenteeism was 17.3% in 2024–2025 — equal to the state rate but above the district's 14.9%, and far above nearby high performers such as White Rock (0.8%), Meadowbrook (4.0%), Rose Glen (5.1%), and Summit View (6.0%). After improving for several years, it worsened in 2024–2025. Subgroup effectiveness is also uneven: the school ranks at the 85th percentile for Special Education students and 57th for English Language Learners and 55th for low-income students, though low-income effectiveness has climbed steadily from the 24th percentile in 2023–2024. Notably, Bethesda achieves its results with mid-range resources — $14,364 per student and a 13.1 student-teacher ratio — suggesting instruction, not extra funding or small classes, drives its outcomes.

401

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,364

Per pupil spending ?

39.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

92%

Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements (2025-26)

730 S University Dr
Waukesha, WI 53188-4599

(262) 970-1305

District: Waukesha School District

Students who attend Bethesda Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Butler Middle
High:	West High

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.9%

Hispanic:

37.9%

Two or more races:

5.2%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Bethesda Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (69% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Wisconsin elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg63%

Wisconsin avg55%

216^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Waukesha School District

184^th of 432Waukesha 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	76.9	216 of 1039	79.2%	★★★★☆
2025	71.0	300 of 1044	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.2	535 of 1061	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.2	357 of 1067	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.9	305 of 1067	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	67.7	319 of 1050	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	486 of 1037	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.8	574 of 1025	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	54.3	519 of 1071	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.4	302 of 1075	71.9%	★★★★☆
2015	67.2	333 of 1076	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.5	283 of 1061	73.3%	★★★★☆
2013	76.9	155 of 1053	85.3%	★★★★☆
2012	78.4	100 of 1045	90.4%	★★★★★
2011	79.6	101 of 1046	90.3%	★★★★★
2010	81.0	80 of 1045	92.3%	★★★★★
2009	80.3	87 of 1030	91.6%	★★★★★
2008	71.8	252 of 1021	75.3%	★★★★☆
2007	78.4	104 of 689	84.9%	★★★★☆
2006	73.4	187 of 712	73.7%	★★★★☆
2005	64.9	276 of 632	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	60.6	308 of 633	51.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	105 of 245	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.5	80 of 255	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	134 of 269	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.8	73 of 249	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	44.9	121 of 248	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	59 of 222	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	30.3	213 of 275	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.6	167 of 287	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	74.2	226 of 986	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	60.2	425 of 1001	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	621 of 1011	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.0	281 of 1010	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	71.2	254 of 1017	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.3	377 of 1004	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.0	538 of 1002	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.4	546 of 997	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	68.9	73 of 322	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	60.1	78 of 274	71.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	385 of 848	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.6	488 of 870	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.4	657 of 866	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.6	382 of 871	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.2	232 of 859	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	52.3	373 of 847	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.5	713 of 874	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.8	635 of 854	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	201 of 989	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	77.6	184 of 1000	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	377 of 1012	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	419 of 1011	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.2	342 of 1017	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.4	244 of 1003	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	61.5	384 of 1002	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.6	563 of 997	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	75.9	118 of 791	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	83.3	65 of 802	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	58.5	274 of 790	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.6	448 of 770	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.5	245 of 748	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.7	255 of 746	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.2	507 of 742	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	540 of 721	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	94.4	3 of 697	99.6%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	45 of 718	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	63.2	257 of 727	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.4	166 of 715	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	89 of 704	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	83.8	69 of 699	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	64.6	232 of 718	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.9	304 of 686	55.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)100th percentile+20 vs school

Special Education (2026)85th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)77th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)77th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)57th percentile-22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies81%+16 vs state

Science73%+19 vs state

Mathematics71%+18 vs state

English Language Arts63%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bethesda Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination 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)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners meeting all minimum immunization requirements	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bethesda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	730 S University Dr	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 970-1305	401	30	13.1	39.2%	208 (51.9%)	15 (3.7%)	152 (37.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.2%)	76.9	216^th of 1039 public elementary schools	79.2%		71	300^th of 1044 public elementary schools	71.3%	84	54.2	68.1	66.0				68.8	72.9	70.2				81.3		72.9		92%		$14,364	$497	$13,867
Lowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	140 N Grandview Blvd	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 970-1905	347	31	11.1	55.6%	210 (60.5%)	24 (6.9%)	80 (23.1%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.8%)	45.5	656^th of 1039 public elementary schools	36.9%		42.2	696^th of 1044 public elementary schools	33.3%	40	51.0	42.2	42.2				69.4	51.6	46.7				59.4		45.3		≥ 95%		$16,816	$1,319	$15,497
Summit View Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2100 Summit Ave	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	Yes	No	No	(262) 970-2605	449	31	14.3	29.4%	310 (69.0%)	31 (6.9%)	54 (12.0%)	18 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.8%)	78.1	194^th of 1039 public elementary schools	81.3%		80.9	145^th of 1044 public elementary schools	86.1%	49	68.7	69.2	60.9				77.6	76.9	60.9				81.5		66.2		87%		$14,637	$454	$14,183
eAchieve Elementary	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-5	301 Hyde Park Avenue	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	Yes	No	Yes	No	(262) 970-1069	111	6	18.4	45.0%	61 (55.0%)	14 (12.6%)	22 (19.8%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.8%)	61.8	424^th of 1039 public elementary schools	59.2%		56.9	501^st of 1044 public elementary schools	52.0%	77	52.6	64.7	60.0				52.6	58.8	66.7				70.6		52.9				$4,448	$391	$4,057
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1111Maitland Dr	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 970-1610	321	33	9.6	64.5%	94 (29.3%)	23 (7.2%)	182 (56.7%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	28.1	815^th of 1039 public elementary schools	21.6%		21.2	868^th of 1044 public elementary schools	16.9%	53	31.4	36.1	38.3				49.0	52.8	27.1				52.8		30.6		80%		$17,543	$1,109	$16,434
Prairie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Center Rd	Waukesha	53189	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-2205	348	26	13.2	28.7%	247 (71.0%)	16 (4.6%)	47 (13.5%)	11 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.8%)	72.1	283^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	72.8%		81.6	138^th of 1044 public elementary schools	86.8%	145	72.1	60.7	65.2				81.4	60.7	56.5				78.7		59.0		≥ 95%		$14,372	$396	$13,976
Rose Glen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	W273S3845 Brookhill Dr	Waukesha	53189	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-2405	490	30	16.2	12.2%	423 (86.3%)	6 (1.2%)	25 (5.1%)	12 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.9%)	84.1	101^st of 1039 public elementary schools	90.3%		83.5	115^th of 1044 public elementary schools	89.0%	14	71.6	69.9	63.1				83.6	84.9	81.0				79.5		74.0		85%		$12,563	$396	$12,167
Waukesha STEM Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1103 S East Avenue	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	Yes	No	No	No	(262) 970-2305	580	42	13.6	25.0%	404 (69.7%)	23 (4.0%)	82 (14.1%)	31 (5.3%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.9%)	82.8	118^th of 1039 public elementary schools	88.6%		84.6	99^th of 1044 public elementary schools	90.5%	19	76.0	69.1	75.9	70.9	80.3	71.3	78.0	72.7	67.2	75.5	88.9	81.2	83.6	70.3	65.5	78.2	85%		$14,819	$393	$14,426
La Casa de Esperanza Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	410 Arcadian Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	La Casa De Esperanza Inc	Yes	No	No	Yes	(262) 547-0887	310	20	15.8	72.3%	30 (9.7%)	69 (22.3%)	200 (64.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	9.1	939^th of 1039 public elementary schools	9.6%		11.3	934^th of 1044 public elementary schools	10.5%	5	34.4	29.0	14.8	14.8	33.3	35.0	31.3	9.7	11.1	18.5	38.9	30.0	35.5	40.0	12.9	35.0
White Rock School	Public	PK, KG-8	1150 Whiterock Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-2705	286	1	381.3	11.5%	209 (73.1%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.7%)	22 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (10.8%)	72.7	275^th of 1039 public elementary schools	73.5%		74.4	245^th of 1044 public elementary schools	76.5%	30	67.7	84.9	88.9	76.9	89.5	91.3	51.6	54.6	37.0	53.9	68.4	65.2	84.9	91.3	78.8	87.0			$4,448	$391	$4,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethesda Elementary

How many students attend Bethesda Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 401 students attended Bethesda Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Bethesda Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bethesda Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Butler Middle
High : West High

What is the racial makeup of Bethesda Elementary?

Students at Bethesda Elementary are 52% White, 38% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is Bethesda Elementary in?

Waukesha School District

Is Bethesda Elementary a good school?

Bethesda Elementary ranks 216^th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Bethesda Elementary!

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

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.