Summary:
ZIP code 53511 in Beloit, Wisconsin is home to 16 schools serving students from PK through 12th grade — 8 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high, and 2 alternative schools — with a combined enrollment of about 7,304 students. Three operators run these schools: Beloit School District (11 schools, about 4,915 students), Beloit Turner School District (4 schools, about 1,662 students), and The Lincoln Academy Inc (1 alternative school, about 727 students). The largest school is Memorial High with 1,305 students; the smallest is Beloit Virtual School with 46.
Within this single ZIP code, results vary enormously. Turner Middle, Garden Prairie Intermediate School, and Turner High generally meet or beat state averages in proficiency, and Turner High posts a 98.0% graduation rate and 12.9% chronic absenteeism, both better than the statewide 92.0% and 17.3%. The Lincoln Academy reports a 100.0% graduation rate, 0.0% dropout, and 9.8% chronic absenteeism, though its upper-grade and ACT results are much lower. At the other end, Merrill Elementary has proficiency in the single digits and 50.0% chronic absenteeism, while Beloit Learning Academy reaches 85.6% chronic absenteeism, a 10.7% dropout rate, and 72.0% graduation. Absenteeism in this ZIP runs from 5.5% at Garden Prairie to 85.6% at Beloit Learning Academy, and it tracks closely with academic results.
Money alone does not explain the differences. Turner schools average roughly $12,240 per student, while Beloit School District schools average about $15,769 — yet Merrill Elementary spends $18,304 with the lowest rank percentile in the area, and Beloit Learning Academy spends $19,500 with severe attendance and completion problems. Parents comparing options should note that the two alternative schools differ sharply from each other, that early-grade strengths often fade by middle and high school, and that Beloit Virtual School's numbers rest on a very small group of students and should be read with caution.
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