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Charter elementary school · Milwaukee School District · Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Highland Community School

Highland Community School rates 7.2, among the strongest elementary schools in Milwaukee School District, where the rated median is 4.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.2this school

7.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Milwaukee School District median is 4.8.

#789 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin · Milwaukee School District: 106 elementary schools rated, median 4.8

The brief

A Milwaukee School District charter elementary school where students score 8 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 789 of 2,109 schools in Wisconsin and 4 of 154 in Milwaukee School District.

Highland Community School is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.

Math46%7 points below the Wisconsin average of 53%Grades 3–8 · 209 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Reading64%12 points above the Wisconsin average of 52%Grades 3–8 · 209 students tested · 2025 FORWARD
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 28 points since 2020, reaching 55% in 2025.2025 FORWARD; 40 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.6
50% of the rating
Academics
7.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.4
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 35% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 48% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

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 53233; 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

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Highland Community School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$20,306
Median home value
$132,900
Median rent
$846/mo
College educated
16.7%
Homeownership
3.3%
Poverty rate
62.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 53233; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
75
Very Walkable
Transit Score
59
Good Transit
Bike Score
74
Very Bikeable
City reported crime
3,546/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Milwaukee. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Milwaukee), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
43.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Highland Community Schoolthis school
    7.2
  2. 7.0Compare →
  3. 5.4Compare →
  4. 5.2Compare →
  5. 4.9Compare →
  6. 4.2Compare →
  7. 4.0Compare →
  8. 3.3Compare →
  9. 2.9Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Highland Community School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

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

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Highland Community School serve?

Highland Community School serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.

How many students attend Highland Community School?

Highland Community School has an enrollment of approximately 414 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Community School?

The student-teacher ratio at Highland Community School is 18:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Highland Community School rank in WI?

Highland Community School ranks #789 of 2,109 schools in WI.

What is Highland Community School's MySchoolScout rating?

Highland Community School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.2 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 Highland Community School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Highland Community School has 35% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 48% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Highland Community School a charter school?

Yes, Highland Community School is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is Highland Community School a Title I school?

No, Highland Community School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Highland Community School?

43.5% of students at Highland Community School 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 facts

Grades
Pre-K – 8th
Enrollment
414
Student-teacher ratio
18:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Milwaukee County
Rank in district
#4 of 154
Schools in district
156
District spending per student
$18,815
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
28.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 53233)
14,412
Area average commute
19 min
Area median age
22.3

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Wisconsin Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.