Summary:
ZIP code 53188 in Waukesha, Wisconsin is home to six elementary schools serving about 1,872 students in grades PK–5 (K–5 at eAchieve Elementary), nearly all within the Waukesha School District, which ranks at the 57th percentile statewide — but the individual schools here range from the 22nd to the 95th percentile.
Three schools sit well above the district average. Meadowbrook Elementary is the clear standout: 5 stars in each of the last three years, 95th percentile, the highest proficiency in the group on every subject tested (93.94% in 4th-grade Social Studies), the lowest chronic absenteeism among brick-and-mortar schools at 4.0%, and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate at 18.52%. Summit View Elementary combines the largest enrollment (449) with steady 4-star performance (81st percentile) and 6.0% absenteeism. Bethesda Elementary made the biggest jump in the group, climbing from 2 stars and the 50th percentile to 4 stars and the 79th percentile, though its 17.3% chronic absenteeism is above the district. eAchieve Elementary, a small online program of 111 students, improved from 2 stars to 3 stars and spends far less per pupil ($4,448) with the highest student-teacher ratio (18.4). Lowell Elementary (2 stars, 37th percentile) and Hawthorne Elementary (1 star, 22nd percentile, 64.49% free/reduced lunch) have stayed low for three years.
Two patterns matter most for families. First, free/reduced lunch rates line up almost exactly with achievement here — from Meadowbrook's 18.52% to Hawthorne's 64.49% — and the gap between them reaches 62.6 points on the same 4th-grade science test. Second, per-pupil spending and small class sizes do not predict results: Hawthorne has the smallest ratio (9.6:1) and the lowest scores, while Meadowbrook spends less than several lower performers. Fifth grade is a soft spot at several schools, and the district's average hides the fact that choosing a school in 53188 means choosing between two very different academic experiences.
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