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Needs Improvement

#1970 of 2,105 schools in WI

Fifty-third Street Elementary

Elementary School · Milwaukee School District · Milwaukee, WI

A Milwaukee School District elementary school where students score 12 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3618 N 53rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53216

  • Math 3% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 8% vs WI 52% (2025)
  • 15:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.9Below Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.27 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics2.8Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency3.4% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency8.1% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg-50.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-43.1 pts
Overall Proficiency6% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)17% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected-11.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile10th
Resources & Environment2.4Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15:1
District spending per student$18,815
Chronic Absenteeism89.4%

Students at Fifty-third Street Elementary score 6% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 17%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency3%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency8%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
52%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 42 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 6% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
39%
ELA
57%
2010
Math
37%
ELA
55%
2011
Math
16%
ELA
12%
2012
Math
17%
ELA
16%
2013
Math
14%
ELA
14%
2014
Math
8%
ELA
20%
2015
Math
7%
ELA
8%
2016
Math
4%
ELA
8%
2017
Math
3%
ELA
7%
2018
Math
3%
ELA
4%
2019
Math
3%
ELA
4%
2020*
Math
3%
ELA
8%
2021*
Math
3%
ELA
8%
2022
Math
6%
ELA
6%
2025
Math
3%
ELA
8%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 9% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 14% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 40 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

92.7%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Fifty-third Street Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 45Car-Dependent
  • Transit 49Some Transit
  • Bike 45Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,164/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Milwaukee), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$43,466

Median home value

$122,800

Median rent

$970/mo

College educated

18%

Homeownership

45.3%

Poverty rate

21.1%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 53216; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Yeshiva Elementary SchoolPrivate · tuition7.6privatePK–80.1 mi187Compare →
Carson AcademyEnrollment path unverified4.1PK–80.5 mi332Compare →
Townsend Street ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.0PK–80.6 mi299Compare →
Sherman ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.4PK–80.8 mi242Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Milwaukee School District

Schools in district
156
Rank in district
#130 of 154
District spending per student
$18,815NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
28.6%Census SAIPE · 2024

Fifty-third Street Elementary is listed in Milwaukee School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Fifty-third Street Elementary

Fifty-third Street Elementary is a public elementary school in Milwaukee, WI, part of Milwaukee School District, serving approximately 330 students in grades Pre-K-8th with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.8 out of 10 and ranks #1,970 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 9% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 14% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Fifty-third Street Elementary

What grades does Fifty-third Street Elementary serve?

Fifty-third Street Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.

How many students attend Fifty-third Street Elementary?

Fifty-third Street Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 330 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Fifty-third Street Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Fifty-third Street Elementary is 15:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Fifty-third Street Elementary rank in WI?

Fifty-third Street Elementary ranks #1,970 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Fifty-third Street Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Fifty-third Street Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Fifty-third Street Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Fifty-third Street Elementary has 9% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 14% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Fifty-third Street Elementary a charter school?

No, Fifty-third Street Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Fifty-third Street Elementary a Title I school?

No, Fifty-third Street Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Fifty-third Street Elementary?

92.7% of students at Fifty-third Street Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 8th
Enrollment
330
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Milwaukee County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
89.4%
Area population (ZIP 53216)
29,772
Area average commute
25.8 min
Area median age
33.7
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 53216; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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