Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Wisconsin test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings TODAY.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School

Public Grades 9-12

314^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 41% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School is a small public high school in West Allis, WI, serving about 168 students in grades 9–12 as part of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. Its recent trajectory stands out: after landing at the 3rd and 5th percentiles in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, it rose to the 41st percentile (2 stars) in 2025–2026 — its highest shown ranking and above every same-district high school, including Nathan Hale High (35th), Central High (12th), and Deeper Learning Virtual Academy (6th). Only Wauwatosa's East High (94th percentile) ranks higher nearby.

Dottke's 2024–2025 graduation rate was 94.4%, above the district (87.2%) and state (92.0%) and higher than Central High, Nathan Hale High, Hamilton High, Escuela Verde, Audubon Technology and Communication High, Veritas High, and Carmen High School of Science and Technology South Campus; only East High (95.8%) was higher. Dropout was 0.0%, down from 7.7% in 2020–2021 and the lowest among the listed nearby schools. Chronic absenteeism is still a challenge at 24.4% — above district and state averages — but it has fallen from 79.6% and beats Central High, Hamilton High, Escuela Verde, Lad Lake Synergy School, and Audubon.

In 2025–2026, Social Studies (52.38%) was a strength, above district and state averages and above every same-district high school, and Science (41.94%) was well above the district and just below the state. English Language Arts (41.94%) beat the district but trailed the state, while Mathematics (22.58%) is the clear weakness — above the district but far below the state's 42.93%. Special education students ranked at the 84th percentile statewide, and low-income students climbed from the 7th to the 49th percentile. With 168 students, a 12:1 student-teacher ratio, and $18,309 per-student spending, Dottke is built for personalized, project-based learning, though its small cohorts mean yearly percentages can swing.

168

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,309

Per pupil spending ?

63.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7815 W Lapham St
West Allis, WI 53214-4502

(414) 604-4210

District: West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.7%

Hispanic:

20.2%

Two or more races:

12.5%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2004 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 34 percentile points since 2004

✓Among the top-ranked schools in West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (24% vs 17% Wisconsin)

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the Wisconsin average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg28%

Wisconsin avg46%

314^th of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 38 pts since 2023

From bottom 3% (2023) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4High Schools in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

400^th of 432West Allis-West Milwaukee 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	46.4	314 of 533	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.8	351 of 431	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	409 of 431	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	402 of 415	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	0.1	455 of 466	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.1	440 of 462	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.6	252 of 281	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	2.0	278 of 292	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	16.8	255 of 287	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	5.2	256 of 275	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	231 of 461	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	23.7	302 of 358	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.1	340 of 353	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	303 of 329	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	228 of 446	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	13.4	303 of 326	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	312 of 462	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.2	288 of 380	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	339 of 365	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	354 of 359	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	67 of 81	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	15 of 93	83.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	158 of 344	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.4	218 of 285	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.4	279 of 300	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.5	270 of 271	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)84th percentile+65 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)32nd percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)17th percentile~ school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies52%+4 vs state

English Language Arts42%-7 vs state

Science42%~ state avg

Mathematics23%-20 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School and help other families decide.

Rate James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				ACT English Language Arts (2026)	ACT Mathematics (2026)	ACT Science (2026)	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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School	Public	9-12	7815 W Lapham St	West Allis	53214	Milwaukee County	West Allis-West Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 604-4210	168	14	12.0	63.1%	102 (60.7%)	7 (4.2%)	34 (20.2%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (12.5%)	46.4	314^th of 533 public high schools	41.1%		25.8	351^st of 431 public high schools	18.6%	37	41.9	22.6	41.9				52.4		$18,309	$1,340	$16,970
Central High	Public	9-12	8516 W Lincoln Ave	West Allis	53227	Milwaukee County	West Allis-West Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 604-3110	961	66	14.5	73.0%	299 (31.1%)	144 (15.0%)	402 (41.8%)	23 (2.4%)	12 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (8.4%)	12.2	471^st of 533 public high schools	11.6%		6	414^th of 431 public high schools	3.9%	57	28.4	13.3	21.2				14.1		$15,659	$1,152	$14,507
Deeper Learning Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	1117 S 104th St	West Allis	53214	Milwaukee County	West Allis-West Milwaukee School District	Yes	No	Yes	No	(414) 604-4224	88	5	17.6	48.9%	36 (40.9%)	7 (8.0%)	34 (38.6%)	2 (2.3%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.1%)	5.4	499^th of 533 public high schools	6.4%					(n/a)	16.7	4.2	12.5	30.0	20.0	50.0	9.1	20.0	$12,226	$831	$11,395
Nathan Hale High	Public	9-12	11601 W Lincoln Ave	West Allis	53227	Milwaukee County	West Allis-West Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 604-3210	1,134	71	16.0	57.1%	577 (50.9%)	142 (12.5%)	292 (25.7%)	26 (2.3%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	88 (7.8%)	40	346^th of 533 public high schools	35.1%		34.8	316^th of 431 public high schools	26.7%	30	44.4	28.0	30.5				49.0		$14,879	$706	$14,173
Hamilton High	Public	9-12	6215 W Warnimont Ave	Milwaukee	53220	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 327-9300	1,472	100	14.7	78.6%	130 (8.8%)	436 (29.6%)	657 (44.6%)	171 (11.6%)	18 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (3.9%)	3.9	509^th of 533 public high schools	4.5%		1.3	426^th of 431 public high schools	1.2%	83	11.7	3.9	7.9				13.3		$19,450	$2,632	$16,819
Escuela Verde	Public, Charter	9-12	3628 W Pierce St	Milwaukee	53215	Milwaukee County	Trans Center for Youth Inc	Yes	No	No	Yes	(414) 988-7960	121	10	12.0	80.2%	9 (7.4%)	12 (9.9%)	98 (81.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	5.5	497^th of 533 public high schools	6.8%		4.2	417^th of 431 public high schools	3.2%	80	9.7	0.0	14.3				23.5
East High	Public	9-12	7500 Milwaukee Ave	Wauwatosa	53213	Milwaukee County	Wauwatosa School District	No	No	No	No	(414) 773-2000	1,043	68	15.2	22.7%	669 (64.1%)	174 (16.7%)	87 (8.3%)	33 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	75 (7.2%)	88.7	33^rd of 533 public high schools	93.8%		86.2	36^th of 431 public high schools	91.6%	3	69.0	63.1	62.3				68.1		$14,583	$290	$14,293
Carmen High School of Science and Technology South Campus	Public, Charter	9-12	1712 S 32nd St	Milwaukee	53215	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(414) 384-4444	382	20	19.1	96.1%	11 (2.9%)	7 (1.8%)	363 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25.3	433^rd of 533 public high schools	18.8%		7.6	408^th of 431 public high schools	5.3%	25	36.3	19.8	29.7				33.0		$21,605	$2,866	$18,739
Lad Lake Synergy School	Public	6-12	2820 W Grant St	Milwaukee	53215	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 647-1771	22	5	4.4	81.8%	0 (0.0%)	14 (63.6%)	8 (36.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$65,500	$4,987	$60,513
Audubon Technology and Communication High	Public	9-12	3300 S 39th St	Milwaukee	53215	Milwaukee County	Milwaukee School District	No	No	No	Yes	(414) 902-7800	436	27	16.3	78.2%	66 (15.1%)	70 (16.1%)	261 (59.9%)	22 (5.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	7.8	487^th of 533 public high schools	8.6%					(n/a)	25.8	9.7	10.8				12.8		$19,955	$2,613	$17,342

Frequently Asked Questions about James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School

What district is James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School in?

West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

How many students attend James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 168 students attended James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School.

What is the racial makeup of James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School?

Students at James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School are 61% White, 20% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% American Indian.

Is James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School a good school?

James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School ranks 314^th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin High School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in West Allis, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School!

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.