Summary:
ZIP code 53530 in Darlington, Wisconsin is home to a single public elementary school, Darlington Elementary/Middle, which serves grades PK–8 and enrolls 636 students as part of the Darlington Community School District. Because it is the only school in the area, there is no side-by-side school comparison to make; the school also covers middle-school grades, so its test data spans grades 3 through 8.
Darlington Elementary/Middle is on a clear upward path. Its state rank improved from 626 of 1,061 (41st percentile, 2 stars) in 2023–24, to 549 of 1,044 (47th percentile) in 2024–25, to 452 of 1,039 (56th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025–26 — a 174-position gain and a rise from 2 to 3 stars. Math is its strongest subject, averaging about 57.7% proficiency in 2025–26 against a state average of about 53.7%. Fifth grade math stands out at 66.67% versus 51.81% statewide, and 6th grade math at 64.29% versus 53.6%. Eighth grade science is a standout too: 61.4% versus 51.86% in 2025–26 and 70.31% versus 50.04% in 2024–25. Chronic absenteeism is exceptionally low at 5.4% versus 17.3% statewide, and the school posts these results while 48.43% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch.
Two areas need attention. Seventh grade is the clearest weak spot: ELA was 39.06% versus 55.33% statewide in 2025–26 and 45.9% versus 53.59% in 2024–25, while math was 45.31% versus 55.67% and 45.9% versus 55.53%. Fourth grade science also trails the state at 43.66% versus 53.46% in 2025–26 and 40% versus 50.83% in 2024–25, suggesting an early-science gap. Eighth grade slipped from a very strong 2024–25 showing — science and social studies both fell from 70.31% to 61.4% and ELA from 66.67% to 52.63% — though 8th grade math and science stayed above state. The dropout rate is 1.5%, low in absolute terms but above the district's 0.5% and the state's 1.1%; per-student spending is $14,363 and the student–teacher ratio is 14.1.
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