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Excellent

#112 of 2,105 schools in WI

Top 5% in state

Prairie Elementary

Elementary School · Waukesha School District · Waukesha, WI

A Waukesha School District elementary school where students score 16 points above what's typical for similar communities.

1801 Center Rd, Waukesha, WI 53189

  • Math 73% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 69% vs WI 51% (2025)
  • 13:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.6Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change+0.07 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics9.2Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency73.3% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency69.1% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg+19 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+17.9 pts
Overall Proficiency71% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)55% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected+15.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile88th
Resources & Environment6.9Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13:1
District spending per student$12,969
Chronic Absenteeism14.4%

Students at Prairie Elementary score 71% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 55%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency73%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency69%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
51%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 22 points since 2020, reaching 71% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
71%
ELA
79%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
47%
ELA
32%
2012
Math
42%
ELA
32%
2013
Math
52%
ELA
27%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2015
Math
57%
ELA
32%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
42%
2017
Math
47%
ELA
37%
2018
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2021*
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2022
Math
60%
ELA
47%
2025
Math
73%
ELA
69%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 51% (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 34 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

28.2%

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 Prairie 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 33Car-Dependent
  • Transit 25Some Transit
  • Bike 36Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated989/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Waukesha), 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

$114,555

Median home value

$372,600

Median rent

$1,206/mo

College educated

45.4%

Homeownership

81.7%

Poverty rate

5.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 53189; 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
Eachieve ElementaryCharter · enrollment unverified6.4PK–51.7 mi120Compare →
Waukesha Catholic SchoolPrivate · tuition7.5privatePK–81.8 mi364Compare →
Waukesha Stem AcademyCharter · enrollment unverified8.4PK–81.8 mi599Compare →
Heyer ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.6PK–51.9 mi345Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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.

Waukesha School District

Schools in district
27
Rank in district
#1 of 26
District spending per student
$12,969NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.1%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Prairie Elementary

Prairie Elementary is a public elementary school in Waukesha, WI, part of Waukesha School District, serving approximately 326 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.9 out of 10 and ranks #112 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Prairie Elementary

What grades does Prairie Elementary serve?

Prairie Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Prairie Elementary?

Prairie Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 326 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary is 13:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Prairie Elementary rank in WI?

Prairie Elementary ranks #112 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Prairie Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Prairie Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.9 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 Prairie Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Prairie Elementary has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Prairie Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Prairie Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

28.2% of students at Prairie 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 – 5th
Enrollment
326
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
Teachers (FTE)
25
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Waukesha County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.4%
Area population (ZIP 53189)
26,607
Area average commute
25.3 min
Area median age
43.2
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 53189; 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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