Summary:
ZIP code 53406 in Racine, Wisconsin is home to two public elementary schools — Gifford School and Goodland Montessori — both serving grades PK–8 and both part of the Racine Unified School District. Both schools carry 2-star ratings and rank well above their district overall, which places 411 out of 432 Wisconsin districts, at the 5th percentile with 0 stars.
Goodland Montessori is the stronger academic performer of the two. It ranks higher than Gifford in all three recent years (2025–2026: 629 of 1039, 39th percentile vs. 723 of 1039, 30th percentile), posts a higher overall 2025–2026 Forward Exam average (56.20 vs. 50.04), and has lower chronic absenteeism (11.1% vs. 14.0%). Gifford is the larger, better-resourced school: 1,331 students vs. 375, $16,183 per student in spending vs. $14,073, a lower student-teacher ratio (15.2 vs. 16.8), and lower free/reduced-price lunch participation (29.98% vs. 32.8%) — yet its proficiency averages are lower. Goodland's upper grades are a particular strength: 7th-grade ELA was 76.47% and 8th-grade ELA 68% in 2025–2026, both above state averages.
Both schools comfortably outperform district averages in every reported Forward Exam subject and year. The 2025–2026 district math average is 22.14, for instance, versus 44.05 at Gifford and 52.12 at Goodland, and Goodland's overall average is slightly above the state average of 55.13. Gifford's standouts are 8th-grade social studies (77.14%) and science (57.86%). Attendance is a clear strength for both, with absenteeism below the state's 17.3% and far below the district's 36.5%. Families should keep in mind that single-grade results shift from year to year as student cohorts change.
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