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Waunakee Prairie Elementary

Q: Is Waunakee Prairie Elementary a good school?

Waunakee Prairie Elementary ranks 192 nd of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Waunakee Prairie Elementary is a K–4 school in Waunakee, WI, with 531 students. It is part of the Waunakee Community School District, a high-performing district ranked 27th of 432 in Wisconsin (94th percentile, 5 stars). The school’s recent rank history is mostly 4 stars and 81st–92nd percentile. Its high point was 2023–2024, when it ranked 83rd of 1,061 schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars); in 2025–2026, it ranked 192nd of 1,039 (82nd percentile, 4 stars). It has very low chronic absenteeism and a very low free/reduced-lunch rate.

On the 2025–2026 Forward Exam, the school was above the state in every reported subject/grade but below its district in every reported subject/grade, and generally below same-district peers Waunakee Heritage Elementary and Arboretum Elementary. The largest district gap was 4th-grade ELA: 65.69 at the school vs. 76.16 in the district. Arboretum Elementary was the strongest Waunakee elementary, ranking 45th of 1,039 (96th percentile, 5 stars); Waunakee Heritage Elementary ranked 106th (90th percentile, 4 stars). This is a shift from 2023–2024, when the school was above the district in several subjects and ranked higher than one of those peers.

Chronic absenteeism is a major strength: 7.0% in 2024–2025, well below the district (11.6%) and state (17.3%), and lower than the same-district peers (8.2% and 9.9%). Free/reduced lunch is 5.27%, second-lowest among the nearby schools shown, so the school’s strong state results occur in a relatively low-poverty setting. Per-student spending is $17,015, moderate among peers, and the student–teacher ratio is 12.2, mid-range. Subgroup effectiveness is mixed: low-SES students dropped to the 43rd percentile in 2025–2026 after 95th in 2023–2024, and special education students were 71st percentile, down from 96th in 2023–2024; small group sizes can make these ranks volatile. Compared with nearby Madison Metropolitan School District schools, the school has much lower poverty, lower absenteeism, and higher proficiency; Northside Elementary in Middleton ranked 166th of 1,039 (84th percentile), similar to the school’s 192nd (82nd percentile).

531

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,015

Per pupil spending ?

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

700 N Madison St
Waunakee, WI 53597-1054

(608) 849-2200

District: Waunakee Community School District

Students who attend Waunakee Prairie Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Waunakee Intermediate
	Waunakee Middle
High:	Waunakee High

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.9%

Hispanic:

6.2%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Waunakee Prairie Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2016 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (71% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg75%

Wisconsin avg55%

192^nd of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Waunakee Community School District

27^th of 432Waunakee Community 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	78.2	192 of 1039	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.6	184 of 1044	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	83 of 1061	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	81.7	138 of 1067	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.3	159 of 1067	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	80.0	151 of 1050	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	82.0	119 of 1037	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	81.1	128 of 1025	87.5%	★★★★☆
2017	76.6	191 of 1071	82.2%	★★★★☆
2016	75.9	207 of 1075	80.7%	★★★★☆
2015	64.5	379 of 1076	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	78.2	147 of 1061	86.1%	★★★★☆
2013	83.3	75 of 1053	92.9%	★★★★★
2012	82.1	46 of 1045	95.6%	★★★★★
2011	81.3	72 of 1046	93.1%	★★★★★
2010	83.0	60 of 1045	94.3%	★★★★★
2009	73.2	216 of 1030	79.0%	★★★★☆
2008	79.0	106 of 1021	89.6%	★★★★☆
2007	87.8	19 of 689	97.2%	★★★★★
2006	86.0	32 of 712	95.5%	★★★★★
2005	80.9	67 of 632	89.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	90.7	15 of 116	87.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	51.5	97 of 249	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.5	38 of 248	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	92.7	8 of 275	97.1%	★★★★★
2018	93.6	10 of 287	96.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	242 of 986	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.3	197 of 1001	80.3%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	97 of 1011	90.4%	★★★★★
2023	82.3	117 of 1010	88.4%	★★★★☆
2022	79.8	140 of 1017	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	82.1	120 of 1004	88.0%	★★★★☆
2019	81.4	109 of 1002	89.1%	★★★★☆
2018	80.1	136 of 997	86.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	93.1	14 of 322	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	90.0	21 of 290	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	75.0	52 of 296	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	93.7	10 of 274	96.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	486 of 848	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	85.4	45 of 866	94.8%	★★★★★
2023	39.9	572 of 871	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.0	528 of 859	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.0	536 of 847	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.8	240 of 874	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.6	78 of 854	90.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	80.0	143 of 989	85.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	177 of 1000	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	85.8	70 of 1012	93.1%	★★★★★
2023	79.5	151 of 1011	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	76.6	187 of 1017	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	202 of 1003	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	80.2	131 of 1002	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.5	135 of 997	86.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	77 of 142	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	79.1	11 of 76	85.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	63.9	228 of 791	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	72.1	145 of 802	81.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.2	34 of 790	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	28 of 770	96.4%	★★★★★
2021	76.6	95 of 746	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.4	95 of 742	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	125 of 721	82.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	182 of 697	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	72.2	186 of 718	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.5	111 of 727	84.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.0	172 of 715	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.3	176 of 704	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	203 of 699	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	142 of 718	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	149 of 686	78.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)96th percentile+13 vs school

Asian (2023)87th percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)74th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)71st percentile-10 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)61st percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)46th percentile-36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies75%+10 vs state

Mathematics71%+17 vs state

Science70%+16 vs state

English Language Arts69%+16 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, October 8, 2021

Academics are excellent. However, diversity is greatly lacking and there is a lot of passive racism from some of the teachers and Kaminsky, the principal. For example, teachers single out parents of color over white parents and will “scold”
Them for things like where they stand at pick up. But when a white parent does the same thing, they are allowed and even have friendly waves from same teacher that scolded minority parent. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, February 28, 2013

The best elementary school in the district. The teachers are exceptional. The administration is solid. We had to go here instead of one of the other elementary schools when we moved here because of overcrowding and I am so grateful.

There are things that I would consider changing here in Waunakee to make it more cutting edge and a more progressive district, but nothing really here at this school. They rock! Close Quote

Schools Near Waunakee Prairie 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 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Waunakee Prairie Elementary	Public	K-4	700 N Madison St	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 849-2200	531	44	12.2	5.3%	440 (82.9%)	11 (2.1%)	33 (6.2%)	19 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.1%)	78.2	192^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	81.5%		78.6	184^th of 1044 public elementary schools	82.4%	8	71.8	65.7		72.7	69.6		75.5	69.6	$17,015	$268	$16,747
Waunakee Heritage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6271 Woodland Drive	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 849-2030	537	45	11.9	15.6%	405 (75.4%)	5 (0.9%)	78 (14.5%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (6.7%)	83.8	106^th of 1039 public elementary schools	89.8%		84.6	98^th of 1044 public elementary schools	90.6%	8	70.5	79.3		72.4	74.5		82.1	73.6	$17,867	$354	$17,513
Arboretum Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1350 Arboretum Dr	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 849-1800	435	32	13.5	3.2%	367 (84.4%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (4.1%)	19 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.2%)	89.2	45^th of 1039 public elementary schools	95.7%		83.4	121^st of 1044 public elementary schools	88.4%	76	78.2	84.0		80.5	74.5		90.4	77.7	$16,829	$263	$16,566
Lindbergh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4500 Kennedy Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-6500	180	18	9.8	77.2%	32 (17.8%)	57 (31.7%)	36 (20.0%)	18 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (20.6%)	13.7	917^th of 1039 public elementary schools	11.7%		8.9	948^th of 1044 public elementary schools	9.2%	31	6.7	38.5	20.8	6.7	23.1	8.3	50.0	34.6	$28,028	$1,284	$26,744
Mendota Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4002 School Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7840	282	29	9.5	72.7%	46 (16.3%)	139 (49.3%)	40 (14.2%)	10 (3.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (15.6%)	17.1	890^th of 1039 public elementary schools	14.3%		21.3	866^th of 1044 public elementary schools	17.0%	24	16.1	39.5	28.6	22.6	39.5	14.3	41.9	32.6	$23,866	$1,489	$22,376
Gompers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1502 Wyoming Way	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4520	217	24	9.0	49.3%	103 (47.5%)	43 (19.8%)	37 (17.1%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (12.4%)	42.9	687^th of 1039 public elementary schools	33.9%		43.4	675^th of 1044 public elementary schools	35.3%	12	56.0	53.3	50.0	40.0	26.7	34.4	73.3	50.0	$21,970	$831	$21,139
Yahara Elementary	Public	K-3	234 N Lexington Pkwy	DeForest	53532	Dane County	De Forest Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 842-6400	329	27	12.2	15.5%	269 (81.8%)	5 (1.5%)	28 (8.5%)	10 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.2%)								(n/a)	52.9			62.1					$17,830	$337	$17,492
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-3	4352 Windsor Rd	Windsor	53598	Dane County	De Forest Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 842-6300	526	38	14.0	14.1%	418 (79.5%)	14 (2.7%)	29 (5.5%)	19 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.6%)								(n/a)	62.4			66.7					$15,133	$349	$14,784
Lake View Elementary	Public	K-5	1802 Tennyson Ln	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4040	292	33	8.9	73.6%	26 (8.9%)	53 (18.2%)	81 (27.7%)	103 (35.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	19.5	867^th of 1039 public elementary schools	16.6%		23	853^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	18.3%	14	23.8	27.8	32.1	31.0	43.4	17.0	57.4	27.8	$24,632	$1,759	$22,873
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Waunakee Prairie Elementary

How many students attend Waunakee Prairie Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 531 students attended Waunakee Prairie Elementary.

What district is Waunakee Prairie Elementary in?

Waunakee Community School District

Is Waunakee Prairie Elementary a good school?

Waunakee Prairie Elementary ranks 192^nd of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Waunakee Prairie Elementary?

Students at Waunakee Prairie Elementary are 83% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Waunakee Prairie Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waunakee Prairie Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Waunakee Intermediate
Middle : Waunakee Middle
High : Waunakee High

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 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.