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Sandburg Elementary

Summary:

Sandburg Elementary is a public elementary school in Madison, Wisconsin, serving 392 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, which is ranked 330 out of 428 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sandburg Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Wisconsin elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating for most of the past decade. The school's academic performance, as measured by the Forward Exam, is significantly below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 29.69% of 3rd graders, 18.97% of 4th graders, and 30.19% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 45.27%, 45.77%, and 51.07% for the district, respectively. Sandburg's performance in mathematics is also very low, with only 20.31% of 3rd graders, 13.79% of 4th graders, and 28.3% of 5th graders proficient or better, compared to the district averages of 44.89%, 45.98%, and 47.39%.

Sandburg Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.5% in 2019-2020 to 36.6% in 2021-2022, before slightly improving to 23.7% in 2022-2023. This is much higher than the district average. The school also has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 64.29% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, compared to the district average of around 50%. While Sandburg's performance is significantly lower than nearby schools like Mendota Elementary, Gompers Elementary, and Kennedy Elementary, its student demographics are more similar to those of Hawthorne Elementary and Lake View Elementary, which also struggle academically.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4114 Donald Dr
       Madison, WI  53704-2899

(608) 204-7940

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
954th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,782 Help


Students who attend Sandburg Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Sherman Middle
High:    East High

Student/teacher ratio:  10.9 Help
Number of students:  411

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.9%
White:
20.2%
African American:
15.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sandburg Elementary ranks worse than 89.9% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks 28th among 29 ranked elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.05. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Sandburg Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.9%), White (20.2%), African American (15.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 61.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandburg Elementary is 10.9, which is the 7th best among 29 elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sandburg Elementary employs 37.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandburg Elementary is $15,782, which is the 15th highest among 29 elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sandburg Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sandburg Elementary 954th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Sandburg Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Madison Metropolitan School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Madison Metropolitan School District 330th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Sandburg Elementary?

Rank History for Sandburg Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 74.45 158th 632 75.0%
2006 45.27 490th 712 31.2%
2007 43.96 491st 689 28.7%
2008 40.61 766th 1021 25.0%
2009 19.98 923rd 1030 10.4%
2010 21.19 923rd 1045 11.7%
2011 27.54 891st 1046 14.8%
2012 9.40 976th 1045 6.6%
2013 23.24 900th 1053 14.5%
2014 19.98 921st 1061 13.2%
2015 11.80 966th 1076 10.2%
2016 9.32 970th 1075 9.8%
2017 18.08 915th 1071 14.6%
2018 14.90 904th 1025 11.8%
2019 23.71 848th 1037 18.2%
2021 27.66 817th 1050 22.2%
2022 16.22 924th 1067 13.4%
2023 18.07 903rd 1067 15.4%
2024 9.05 954th 1061 10.1%
See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 39.30 43rd 76 43.4%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.11 156th 287 45.6%
2019 45.82 136th 275 50.5%
2022 54.75 91st 248 63.3%
2023 49.20 106th 249 57.4%
2024 30.81 195th 269 27.5%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.56 551st 721 23.6%
2019 19.20 660th 742 11.1%
2022 35.69 491st 748 34.4%
2023 24.88 619th 770 19.6%
2024 17.48 704th 790 10.9%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.78 808th 854 5.4%
2019 22.81 764th 874 12.6%
2021 68.31 193rd 847 77.2%
2022 16.86 781st 859 9.1%
2023 21.78 761st 871 12.6%
2024 10.36 822nd 866 5.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.68 831st 997 16.6%
2019 30.22 772nd 1002 23.0%
2021 3.17 1003rd 1004 0.1%
2022 18.61 874th 1017 14.1%
2023 15.99 871st 1010 13.8%
2024 8.76 914th 1011 9.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.12 901st 997 9.6%
2019 21.29 843rd 1002 15.9%
2021 49.78 567th 1003 43.5%
2022 16.97 872nd 1017 14.3%
2023 19.56 847th 1011 16.2%
2024 11.80 904th 1012 10.7%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.45 65th 165 60.6%
2021 22.58 137th 141 2.8%
2022 53.37 42nd 133 68.4%
2023 64.01 28th 138 79.7%
2024 28.71 102nd 137 25.5%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.91 207th 271 23.6%
2019 35.35 170th 266 36.1%
2021 70.67 51st 274 81.4%
2022 28.91 218th 296 26.4%
2023 31.77 202nd 290 30.3%
2024 21.55 282nd 331 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sandburg Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.17 591st 686 13.8%
2019 53.75 340th 718 52.6%
2022 34.73 503rd 704 28.6%
2023 41.38 461st 715 35.5%
2024 20.41 627th 727 13.8%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Sandburg Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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District Scores:
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Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a teacher
Saturday, August 30, 2014

Open Quote Anyone who visits Sandburg knows it is a great place to learn and grow. The data sets used, which suggest declining proficiency, miss major considerations. First, Sandburg has a Dual Language Immersion program (Spanish / English) growing throughout the building, with more than 50% of the children learning in Spanish for most of each day (the tests reported here are only in English!). The data used here also has been "NAEP-ized" (retroactively re-calibrated to a more rigorous bar) and aligned to the newer, more rigorous Common Core State Standads. Visit the school! Learn about how they show the 2nd highest rate of growth in literacy in Madison (and growth targets are more rigorous for children who are not proficient). Learn how this is also true for African-American children (reducting the "achievement gap"). Learn how they have reduced behavioral referrals by 39%, they've won awards for Character Education, the principal received the Distinguished Service Award, the teachers' work with technology integration informed the District's "Tech Plan," and learn about the $2 million in grants they won (for afterschool programming and to journey to become one of the 'unexpected' schools who thrives despite being highly-mobile, and high-poverty. There is way more to the story than what you have here. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sandburg Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 245 27 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 279
1989 233 21 8 3 2 n/a n/a 0 267
1990 232 22 9 5 0 n/a n/a 0 268
1991 262 33 8 7 0 n/a n/a 0 310
1992 267 32 9 7 0 n/a n/a 0 315
1993 260 36 4 13 0 n/a n/a 0 313
1994 277 38 11 13 3 n/a n/a 0 342
1995 308 47 15 15 1 n/a n/a 0 386
1996 308 47 15 15 1 n/a n/a 0 386
1997 310 63 14 11 5 n/a n/a 0 403
1998 328 59 12 10 4 n/a n/a 0 413
1999 317 55 15 10 6 n/a n/a 0 403
2000 297 46 12 11 6 n/a n/a 0 372
2001 291 53 11 14 2 n/a n/a 0 371
2002 206 62 18 70 1 n/a n/a 0 357
2003 206 62 18 70 1 n/a n/a 0 357
2004 190 61 25 76 2 n/a n/a 0 354
2005 169 60 26 73 3 n/a n/a 0 331
2006 140 65 20 74 0 n/a n/a 0 299
2007 140 71 26 82 2 n/a n/a 0 321
2008 123 52 28 105 2 n/a n/a 0 310
2009 115 74 25 113 4 n/a n/a 0 331
2010 108 75 22 107 3 n/a n/a 0 315
2011 101 56 24 140 1 1 31 0 354
2012 111 64 36 164 0 0 34 0 409
2013 114 56 25 168 2 0 30 0 395
2014 124 49 23 183 2 0 32 0 413
2015 125 63 24 180 3 0 39 0 434
2016 124 70 29 194 2 0 47 0 466
2017 113 73 22 213 2 0 47 0 470
2018 119 88 26 196 1 0 51 0 481
2019 125 74 29 203 2 2 50 0 485
2020 120 85 33 203 0 3 58 0 502
2021 96 76 29 212 0 3 55 0 471
2022 77 67 29 196 0 0 46 0 415
2023 79 59 21 197 0 0 35 1 392
2024 83 63 20 201 0 0 44 0 411

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sandburg Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 279 13.5 20.6 15.4
1989 267 15.6 17.1 13.5
1990 268 15.4 17.4 13.1
1991 310 16.4 18.9 13.9
1992 315 20.8 15.1 15.9
1993 313 22.2 14.1 20.4
1994 342 22.9 14.9 20.5
1995 386 23.1 16.7 21.8
1996 386 23.1 16.7 21.8
1997 403 22.1 18.2 22.6
1998 413 26.6 15.5 22
1999 403 28.3 14.2 27.5
2000 372 26.9 13.8 28.2
2001 371 27.1 13.7 29.4
2002 357 28.5 12.5 36.4
2003 357 28.5 12.5 36.4
2004 354 29.7 11.9 37.9
2005 331 28.6 11.6 n/a
2006 299 23.6 12.7 n/a
2007 321 22.7 14.1 53.9
2008 310 25.8 12.0 55.5
2009 331 26.9 12.3 60.4
2010 315 27.8 11.3 67.9
2011 354 27.2 13.0 71.2
2012 409 29.9 13.6 68.5
2013 395 36.4 10.8 72.2
2014 413 37.3 11.0 69.7
2015 434 n/a n/a 68.7
2016 466 44.0 10.5 66.5
2017 470 44.9 10.4 60
2018 481 47.5 10.1 61.3
2019 485 48.5 10.0 65.2
2020 502 43.9 11.4 62.5
2021 471 45.4 10.3 70.5
2022 415 45.5 9.1 64.6
2023 392 40.1 9.7 64.3
2024 411 37.7 10.9 61.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sandburg Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 279 13.5 20.6 15.4
1989 267 15.6 17.1 13.5
1990 268 15.4 17.4 13.1
1991 310 16.4 18.9 13.9
1992 315 20.8 15.1 15.9
1993 313 22.2 14.1 20.4
1994 342 22.9 14.9 20.5
1995 386 23.1 16.7 21.8
1996 386 23.1 16.7 21.8
1997 403 22.1 18.2 22.6
1998 413 26.6 15.5 22
1999 403 28.3 14.2 27.5
2000 372 26.9 13.8 28.2
2001 371 27.1 13.7 29.4
2002 357 28.5 12.5 36.4
2003 357 28.5 12.5 36.4
2004 354 29.7 11.9 37.9
2005 331 28.6 11.6 n/a
2006 299 23.6 12.7 n/a
2007 321 22.7 14.1 53.9
2008 310 25.8 12.0 55.5
2009 331 26.9 12.3 60.4
2010 315 27.8 11.3 67.9
2011 354 27.2 13.0 71.2
2012 409 29.9 13.6 68.5
2013 395 36.4 10.8 72.2
2014 413 37.3 11.0 69.7
2015 434 n/a n/a 68.7
2016 466 44.0 10.5 66.5
2017 470 44.9 10.4 60
2018 481 47.5 10.1 61.3
2019 485 48.5 10.0 65.2
2020 502 43.9 11.4 62.5
2021 471 45.4 10.3 70.5
2022 415 45.5 9.1 64.6
2023 392 40.1 9.7 64.3
2024 411 37.7 10.9 61.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sandburg Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,105 (7.3%) $14,068 (92.7%) $15,173
2020 $937 (6.5%) $13,491 (93.5%) $14,429
2021 $1,179 (7.5%) $14,604 (92.5%) $15,782

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sandburg Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 848th of 1037 Elementary schoolsRanks 903rd of 1067 Elementary schools
 2.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sandburg Elementary)22.916.7
 6.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Madison Metropolitan School District)35.334.9
 0.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)39.537.9
 1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sandburg Elementary)35.414.8
 20.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Madison Metropolitan School District)45.840.3
 5.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)50.548.8
 1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sandburg Elementary)28.831.5
 2.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Madison Metropolitan School District)41.944.9
 3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)43.945.8
 1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sandburg Elementary)32.829.6
 3.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Madison Metropolitan School District)45.942.2
 3.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)46.246.5
 0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Sandburg Elementary)40.338.9
 1.4%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Madison Metropolitan School District)50.156.6
 6.6%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)53.459.7
 6.4%
4th Grade Science (Sandburg Elementary)37.929.6
 8.3%
   4th Grade Science (Madison Metropolitan School District)48.250.5
 2.4%
   4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)53.952.1
 1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sandburg Elementary)26.216.7
 9.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Madison Metropolitan School District)38.538.2
 0.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)40.939.2
 1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sandburg Elementary)33.928.3
 5.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Madison Metropolitan School District)4541.5
 3.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)47.848.4
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students485392
 19.2%
African American7459
 20.3%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian2921
 27.6%
Hispanic203197
 3%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White12579
 36.8%
Two or More Races5035
 30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients65.2%64.3%
 0.9%

Schools Near Sandburg Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Sandburg Elementary

Students who attend Sandburg Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sherman Middle
High : East High

In the 2023-24 school year, 411 students attended Sandburg Elementary.

Sandburg Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.1% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

Students at Sandburg Elementary are 49% Hispanic, 20% White, 15% African American, 11% Two or more races, 5% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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