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Below Average

#1913 of 2,105 schools in WI

Longfellow Elementary

Elementary School · Milwaukee School District · Milwaukee, WI

A Milwaukee School District elementary school where students score 7 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1021 S 21st St, Milwaukee, WI 53204

  • Math 9% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 17% vs WI 52% (2025)
  • 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.0Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.25 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.4Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency8.9% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency17.1% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg-45.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-34.1 pts
Overall Proficiency13% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)20% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected-7.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile16th
Resources & Environment2.8Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.7:1
District spending per student$18,815
Chronic Absenteeism56.7%

Students at Longfellow Elementary score 13% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 20%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency9%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency17%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
52%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 6 points since 2020, reaching 13% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
55%
ELA
57%
2010
Math
56%
ELA
63%
2011
Math
22%
ELA
12%
2012
Math
17%
ELA
11%
2013
Math
15%
ELA
11%
2014
Math
15%
ELA
27%
2015
Math
12%
ELA
15%
2016
Math
11%
ELA
20%
2017
Math
12%
ELA
15%
2018
Math
12%
ELA
16%
2019
Math
12%
ELA
16%
2020*
Math
3%
ELA
12%
2021*
Math
3%
ELA
12%
2022
Math
5%
ELA
11%
2025
Math
9%
ELA
17%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 15% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 20% (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

87.6%

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 Longfellow 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 82Very Walkable
  • Transit 48Some Transit
  • Bike 56Bikeable
  • 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

$43,645

Median home value

$106,000

Median rent

$964/mo

College educated

14.6%

Homeownership

26.4%

Poverty rate

32.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 53204; 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
Christ-st Peter Lutheran SchoolPrivate · tuition6.1privatePK–80.3 mi200Compare →
Notre Dame School of MilwaukeePrivate · tuition6.4privatePK–80.5 mi521Compare →
Notre Dame School of MilwaukeePrivate · tuition5.0privatePK–80.5 mi520Compare →
Doerfler ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.0PK–80.6 mi550Compare →

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
#113 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

Longfellow Elementary is listed in Milwaukee School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Longfellow Elementary

Longfellow Elementary is a public elementary school in Milwaukee, WI, part of Milwaukee School District, serving approximately 718 students in grades Pre-K-8th with a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.1 out of 10 and ranks #1,913 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 15% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 20% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Longfellow Elementary

What grades does Longfellow Elementary serve?

Longfellow Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 8th.

How many students attend Longfellow Elementary?

Longfellow Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 718 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary is 16.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Longfellow Elementary rank in WI?

Longfellow Elementary ranks #1,913 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Longfellow Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Longfellow Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.1 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 Longfellow Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Longfellow Elementary has 15% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 20% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Longfellow Elementary a charter school?

No, Longfellow Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Longfellow Elementary a Title I school?

No, Longfellow Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Longfellow Elementary?

87.6% of students at Longfellow 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
718
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
43
Type
regular
Setting
Large City
County
Milwaukee County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
56.7%
Area population (ZIP 53204)
40,008
Area average commute
20.9 min
Area median age
29.1
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 53204; 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

Related reading

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