Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 54601

ZIP code 54601 in La Crosse, Wisconsin is home to nine elementary schools serving about 2,100 students, all part of La Crosse School District. Most serve pre-K through 5th grade, while Coulee Montessori Charter School runs PK–6 and School of Technology and Arts I serves K–5. The district as a whole ranks in the lower-middle range statewide, but the individual schools vary enormously — from the 11th to the 82nd percentile — so the district label tells you little about any one building.

At the top, School of Technology and Arts I (82nd percentile, 4 stars, overall test average 72.05) leads in reading and social studies. Spence Elementary is close behind and stands out for strong math and social studies results despite a higher share of low-income students. State Road Elementary has the area's best attendance, with chronic absenteeism at 7.3%, well below both district and state rates. Coulee Montessori Charter School made the biggest jump, rising from the 15th to the 45th percentile. Emerson Elementary is a steady, lower-poverty performer, while Southern Bluffs Elementary — the largest school — saw math scores decline.

Hamilton Elementary School and Hintgen Elementary face the deepest challenges: the highest poverty and absenteeism rates and the lowest test averages, even though they receive the most per-student funding and have the smallest classes. Notably, Hamilton shares a building address with the top-ranked School of Technology and Arts I, suggesting two very different programs in one place. Across the area, math is the weakest subject compared with state averages, and attendance is generally good except at those two schools.