Best Public Schools in Zip Code 53551

Zip code 53551 is Lake Mills, Wisconsin, home to three public schools serving PK–12 students in the Lake Mills Area School District: Lake Mills Elementary (PK–4, 613 students), Lake Mills Middle (5–8, 413 students), and Lake Mills High (9–12, 447 students), for 1,473 students total. The district itself ranks 110th of 432 in Wisconsin, at the 75th percentile with 4 stars.

Lake Mills High is the standout, and the only 5-star school here. It ranks 51st of 533 high schools (90th percentile) and has climbed steadily from 144th of 431 two years earlier. Its graduation rate is 98.3% versus 92.0% statewide, its dropout rate is 0.0% versus 1.1%, and its ACT proficiency scores in ELA (70.83), Math (63.54), and Science (65.63) sit roughly 20 points above state. Lake Mills Elementary is stronger than its 3 stars suggest: it beats the state in every reported 2025–2026 subject, including 4th-grade Math at 70.34 (17.47 points above state) and 4th-grade Social Studies at 77.12. Lake Mills Middle is the most uneven, having slipped from 4 stars and the 72nd percentile to 3 stars and the 57th percentile, largely because 8th-grade ELA (46.15), Math (47.12), and Social Studies (58.65) fell below state.

Chronic absenteeism is a relative strength across the board, with every school below the state's 17.3% — from 5.5% at the elementary school to 10.2% at the high school. Spending and class sizes don't track neatly with results: the high school spends the most ($15,178 per student), the middle school has the smallest classes (12.2 students per teacher) but the weakest current rank, and the elementary school has the largest classes (14.4) and lowest spending ($14,292) yet posts strong scores. Overall, the district's 4-star rating appears carried by the high school and supported by the elementary school, with the middle school's recent slide the main concern.