Summary:
ZIP code 53186 in Waukesha, Wisconsin is home to seven elementary schools serving roughly 2,567 students. Four of them — Banting Elementary, Hadfield Elementary, Heyer Elementary, and Hillcrest Elementary — serve grades PK–5; three serve PK–8: Waukesha STEM Academy, White Rock School, and La Casa de Esperanza Charter School. Six are part of the Waukesha School District, while La Casa de Esperanza runs as its own district, La Casa De Esperanza Inc. Enrollment ranges from 239 to 580 students, and results split into three clear tiers.
At the top, Hillcrest Elementary is the standout: 5 stars, 93rd percentile statewide, and the highest average proficiency in the group (about 78.6%). Waukesha STEM Academy is the largest school and the strongest district PK–8, rated 4 stars with the single highest math result locally in 7th grade. White Rock School (4 stars) posts the best English/language arts scores and the lowest chronic absenteeism anywhere in the data — just 0.8%. Banting Elementary is the steady middle: 3 stars each year and consistent results.
At the other end, Hadfield Elementary has improved its rank for three straight years but remains 1 star with 19.2% chronic absenteeism; Heyer Elementary slid from the 50th to the 27th percentile in a single year; and La Casa is the lowest performer, at 0 stars and the 10th percentile, with 24.2% absenteeism and an 8.3% dropout rate. Two patterns span every school: 5th grade math is the weakest math grade at all seven, and per-student spending does not track outcomes. Note that White Rock's reported spending and student-teacher ratio appear to be reporting errors.
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