Best Public Schools in Zip Code 53538

ZIP code 53538 is home to six schools serving students from elementary through high school, all within the Fort Atkinson School District: four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, with 2,163 students enrolled in total. The high school is the largest at 816 students, the middle school has 467, and the four elementaries together enroll 880. The district ranks 112th of 432 in Wisconsin, in the 74th percentile with 4 stars, but school-level results vary widely.

Luther Elementary is the strongest elementary right now, ranking 119th of 1,039 with 4 stars and an 89th percentile, up from the 63rd two years ago, with very low chronic absenteeism of 0.8%. Barrie Elementary has climbed steadily to the 84th percentile, and Fort Atkinson Middle improved each year to the 77th percentile, with standout 7th grade results. Rockwell Elementary reached 5 stars and the 92nd percentile in 2024–25 before slipping to the 77th percentile with 4 stars. Fort Atkinson High ranks in the 53rd percentile with strong graduation (93.5%) and dropout (0.2%) figures, while Purdy Elementary is the lowest-ranked elementary at the 53rd percentile with 3 stars.

Spending and class size do not predict outcomes here: Purdy spends the most per student ($21,864) with the smallest classes (10.1), yet ranks lowest among elementaries, while the high school spends least ($17,394) but posts strong completion rates. Free/reduced lunch rates also do not track performance. Grade-level results matter — 4th grade is a strength at Luther, Barrie, and Rockwell but a weakness at Purdy — and with small grade cohorts, single-year rank swings should be read alongside multi-year trends.