Summary:
ZIP code 53714 contains a single public middle school in this dataset: Whitehorse Middle, which serves grades 6–8 and enrolls 415 students at 218 Schenk St in Madison. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Because it is the only middle school in the ZIP code, there is no in-area comparison to make — any alternative would mean looking outside 53714.
Academically, Whitehorse scores below both its district and the state in every reported Forward Exam subject and grade in 2024–2025 and 2025–2026. In 2025–2026, its average proficiency across reported tests was 36.22%, compared with 50.11% for the district and 55.51% statewide. The weakest results are 6th grade math at 21.74% and 6th grade ELA at 28.47%, while the closest to benchmark is 7th grade math at 43.17%, 8.40 points below the district. Chronic absenteeism is 32.4%, above the district's 29.6% and nearly 1.9 times the state's 17.3%. The dropout rate is low at 0.3%, versus 1.2% in the district and 1.1% statewide. The school spends $18,641 per student with a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio, and 59.04% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Its state rank is 529 of 643 (18th percentile, 1 star), consistent with a 16th–18th percentile range over three years; the district ranks in the 26th percentile.
Parents should note the bright spots: 8th grade math rose from 28.23% to 38.46% and 8th grade social studies from 39.52% to 48.72%, and overall proficiency edged up 0.77 points year over year. The main concerns are the sharp 6th grade declines in both ELA and math, and high absenteeism, which stands out as the clearest priority area alongside the persistent below-benchmark achievement.
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