Summary:
Four PK–5 elementary schools serve families in ZIP code 53172, all part of the South Milwaukee School District, with a combined enrollment of 1,156 students. The district overall ranks 341 of 432 in Wisconsin (21st percentile, 1 star), but the individual schools differ sharply — from a 4-star school in the state's top third to two 1-star schools.
E W Luther Elementary is the clear standout: 277 of 1039 (73rd percentile, 4 stars), up from 64th percentile and 3 stars in the two prior years. It has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the group at 14.0% (district 27.9%, state 17.3%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate at 43.15%, and it scored above both district and state averages on every reported Forward Exam test shown, including math grade 4 at 72.00%. Blakewood Elementary is a solid second at 491 of 1039 (53rd percentile, 3 stars), up from 35th percentile and 2 stars in 2023–24; it is strong in ELA, social studies, and science, but below the state in all three 2025–26 math grades.
The lower-performing schools tell different stories. Lakeview Elementary (800 of 1039, 23rd percentile, 1 star) has the highest per-pupil spending ($16,872) and smallest classes (11.7 students per teacher), yet still ranks low, with grade 3 scores strong but grades 4–5 falling sharply. Rawson Elementary, the largest school at 371 students, ranks 821 of 1039 (21st percentile, 1 star) and has the highest chronic absenteeism (27.2%) and free/reduced lunch rate (61.46%), along with the lowest per-pupil spending ($14,609). The takeaway for parents: more spending and smaller classes alone do not guarantee higher achievement, and within-school grade-level gaps can matter as much as school-wide averages.
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