Summary:
ZIP code 53717 covers a single high school on Madison's west side: Vel Phillips Memorial High School, which serves grades 9–12 with 2,004 students and belongs to the Madison Metropolitan School District. Because it is the only high school in the ZIP, there are no in-area peers to compare it with — the useful comparisons are against its own district and against the state.
Academically, the school is a clear standout relative to its district. It holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 62nd percentile statewide, while the district carries a 1-star rating at the 26th percentile — a 36-point gap. In 2025–2026, students scored above both district and state in ACT English Language Arts (53.83% proficient), Mathematics (49.39%), and Science (46.90%). Graduation stands at 90.6%, well above the district's 84.6%, and the dropout rate is just 1.1%. The exception is 10th-grade Social Studies, the only subject where the school trails both district and state, and it fell 6.76 points year over year while both benchmarks rose slightly. The school's lead over the district also narrowed in all four subjects.
The biggest concern is attendance: 36.5% of students are chronically absent, worse than the district's 29.6% and more than double the state's 17.3% — roughly one in three students. This matters because attendance is a leading indicator for graduation and achievement, and the school's 90.6% graduation rate still trails the state's 92.0%. In terms of resources, per-student spending is $18,129 with a 15.7:1 student-teacher ratio, and 42.42% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Overall, instruction looks strong and attendance looks strained; parents should weigh both.
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