Summary:
ZIP code 53211 in the Milwaukee area contains 8 schools serving grades K–12 across three districts — Milwaukee School District, Shorewood School District, and Whitefish Bay School District — with 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and a combined enrollment of about 4,484 students. It is really two different worlds: the Shorewood and Whitefish Bay schools rank among the strongest in Wisconsin, while the Milwaukee schools in this ZIP sit near the bottom, with one notable exception.
Five schools land in the 90th percentile or better of their school-type rankings and hold 5 stars: Cumberland Elementary (20th of 1,039, 98th percentile, with ELA 78.49%–93.06% and math 81.00%–86.11%), Atwater Elementary (96th percentile), Shorewood High (94th percentile, 98.7% graduation rate), Shorewood Intermediate (90th percentile), and Lake Bluff Elementary (91st percentile). At the other end, Hartford Avenue Elementary ranks 1,021st of 1,039 with 0 stars and proficiency as low as 0%–10% in math and science, and Riverside High ranks 489th of 533 with 0 stars and an 81.2% graduation rate.
Maryland Montessori is the standout exception within Milwaukee: it ranks 319th of 1,039 (69th percentile, 3 stars) with chronic absenteeism of 4.9% versus the district's 46.2%. Across the ZIP, low absenteeism generally goes with strong outcomes — Cumberland is lowest at 1.9%, while Hartford Avenue and Riverside High reach 60.9% and 65.0%. Spending does not track with results: Hartford Avenue spends the most per student at $21,290 while Cumberland spends the least at $11,935. Free/reduced lunch is closely tied to the gap, but Maryland Montessori shows it is not destiny.
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