Is Arboretum Elementary a good school?

Yes! Arboretum Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 45 th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools.

How many students attend Arboretum Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 435 students attended Arboretum Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Arboretum Elementary?

Students at Arboretum Elementary are 84% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 5% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Arboretum Elementary attend?

Students who attend Arboretum Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Waunakee Intermediate Middle : Waunakee Middle High : Waunakee High

Arboretum Elementary

Summary:

Arboretum Elementary is a public elementary school located in Waunakee, Wisconsin, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 435 students. The school is part of the Waunakee Community School District, which is ranked 29th out of 428 districts in Wisconsin and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Arboretum Elementary stands out for its consistently high academic performance, with proficiency rates in the Forward Exam that significantly exceed state and district averages, often exceeding 70% proficiency. The school has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and has consistently ranked among the top Wisconsin elementary schools over the past 10 years. Additionally, Arboretum Elementary has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 3.1% to 14.9% over the past 5 years, which is lower than the state and district averages.

Compared to other Waunakee elementary schools, Arboretum Elementary outperforms in academic proficiency and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate. However, the school's student population is relatively homogeneous, with a very low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a high-income demographic. In contrast, Madison Metropolitan School District schools generally have lower academic proficiency, higher chronic absenteeism, and a higher percentage of students from low-income families, despite having higher per-student spending.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

1350 Arboretum Dr
Waunakee, WI 53597

(608) 849-1800

District: Waunakee Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
45^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,811

Students who attend Arboretum Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Waunakee Intermediate
	Waunakee Middle
High:	Waunakee High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 435

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.4%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Asian:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 3%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Arboretum Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Arboretum Elementary ranks better than 95.8% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Waunakee Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.82. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Arboretum Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Waunakee Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (84.4%), two or more races (5.5%), Asian (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Waunakee Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Arboretum Elementary is 13.2, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Waunakee Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Arboretum Elementary employs 32.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Arboretum Elementary is $12,811, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Waunakee Community School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Arboretum Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Arboretum Elementary 45^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Arboretum Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Waunakee Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waunakee Community School District 29^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Arboretum Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2007	81.13	70^th	689	89.8%
2008	84.34	29^th	1021	97.2%
2009	84.63	30^th	1030	97.1%
2010	86.29	19^th	1045	98.2%
2011	81.23	74^th	1046	92.9%
2012	83.76	31^st	1045	97.0%
2013	90.03	18^th	1053	98.3%
2014	92.71	4^th	1061	99.6%
2015	90.51	13^th	1076	98.8%
2016	94.75	9^th	1075	99.2%
2017	96.30	4^th	1071	99.6%
2018	90.25	38^th	1025	96.3%
2019	93.69	12^th	1037	98.8%
2021	86.90	84^th	1050	92.0%
2022	87.98	62^nd	1067	94.2%
2023	90.88	39^th	1067	96.3%
2024	88.82	45^th	1061	95.8%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	89.32	31^st	721	95.7%
2021	60.29	220^th	746	70.5%
2022	73.32	120^th	748	84.0%
2023	39.16	465^th	770	39.6%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	67.25	207^th	874	76.3%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	85.08	76^th	997	92.4%
2019	91.19	23^rd	1002	97.7%
2021	91.76	26^th	1004	97.4%
2022	90.65	32^nd	1017	96.9%
2023	90.01	38^th	1010	96.2%
2024	84.07	79^th	1011	92.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	92.83	19^th	997	98.1%
2019	94.05	13^th	1002	98.7%
2021	78.42	148^th	1003	85.2%
2022	82.95	113^th	1017	88.9%
2023	89.62	38^th	1011	96.2%
2024	90.37	29^th	1012	97.1%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Arboretum Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	88.18	40^th	686	94.2%
2019	93.03	15^th	718	97.9%
2021	80.04	90^th	699	87.1%
2022	84.10	62^nd	704	91.2%
2023	84.54	58^th	715	91.9%
2024	83.15	71^st	727	90.2%

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.

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Arboretum Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	417	5	13	14	2	n/a	n/a	451
2008	444	3	15	12	2	n/a	n/a	476
2009	439	3	16	11	2	n/a	n/a	471
2010	500	6	16	20	2	n/a	n/a	544
2011	500	7	12	14	0	3	1	537
2012	496	4	9	13	0	1	5	528
2013	507	4	9	16	0	0	10	546
2014	498	3	6	15	0	0	10	532
2015	461	3	4	9	0	0	16	493
2016	435	1	6	11	0	0	18	471
2017	415	2	10	9	0	0	26	462
2018	404	1	10	14	0	0	23	452
2019	402	1	11	14	0	0	26	454
2020	387	2	20	18	0	0	24	451
2021	365	2	18	17	0	1	27	430
2022	362	3	24	20	0	0	25	434
2023	367	3	21	20	0	0	24	435

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 Arboretum Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	451	30.4	14.8	5.5
2008	476	31.2	15.3	4.2
2009	471	32.6	14.4	3.2
2010	544	34.5	15.7	4
2011	537	33.0	16.2	4.7
2012	528	33.0	16.0	5.9
2013	546	33.0	16.5	4.8
2014	532	34.4	15.4	4.1
2015	493	n/a	n/a	5.1
2016	471	33.0	14.2	4.5
2017	462	33.0	13.9	3.5
2018	452	31.0	14.5	2.9
2019	454	30.5	14.8	4.4
2020	451	31.5	14.3	2.4
2021	430	32.5	13.2	3.7
2022	434	33.5	12.9	1.8
2023	435	32.9	13.2	3

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 Arboretum Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	451	30.4	14.8	5.5
2008	476	31.2	15.3	4.2
2009	471	32.6	14.4	3.2
2010	544	34.5	15.7	4
2011	537	33.0	16.2	4.7
2012	528	33.0	16.0	5.9
2013	546	33.0	16.5	4.8
2014	532	34.4	15.4	4.1
2015	493	n/a	n/a	5.1
2016	471	33.0	14.2	4.5
2017	462	33.0	13.9	3.5
2018	452	31.0	14.5	2.9
2019	454	30.5	14.8	4.4
2020	451	31.5	14.3	2.4
2021	430	32.5	13.2	3.7
2022	434	33.5	12.9	1.8
2023	435	32.9	13.2	3

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 Arboretum Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$266 (2.3%)	$11,456 (97.7%)	$11,722
2020	$202 (1.6%)	$12,104 (98.4%)	$12,305
2021	$245 (1.9%)	$12,565 (98.1%)	$12,811

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Arboretum 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 12^th of 1037 Elementary schools	Ranks 39^th of 1067 Elementary schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Arboretum Elementary)	70.7	72.9	2.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waunakee Community School District)	56.1	57.5	1.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	39.5	37.9	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Arboretum Elementary)	89.1	85.9	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waunakee Community School District)	75.1	66.5	8.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	50.5	48.8	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Arboretum Elementary)	69.7	66.7	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waunakee Community School District)	66.7	63.2	3.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	43.9	45.8	1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Arboretum Elementary)	90.9	71.3	19.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waunakee Community School District)	79.9	69.7	10.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	46.2	46.5	0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Arboretum Elementary)	78.8	82.8	4%
4th Grade Social Studies (Waunakee Community School District)	70.3	79.8	9.5%
4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	53.4	59.7	6.4%
4th Grade Science (Arboretum Elementary)	80.8	77	3.8%
4th Grade Science (Waunakee Community School District)	74.3	67.7	6.6%
4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	53.9	52.1	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	454	435	4.2%
African American	1	3	200%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	11	21	90.9%
Hispanic	14	20	42.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	402	367	8.7%
Two or More Races	26	24	7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	4.4%	3%	1.4%

Schools Near Arboretum Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)			Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)			Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Arboretum Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1350 Arboretum Dr	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 849-1800	435	33	13.2	3.0%	367 (84.4%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.6%)	21 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	88.8	45^th of 1061 public elementary schools	95.8%		90.9	39^th of 1067 public elementary schools	96.3%	6	74.7	78.1		71.4	90.2		90.2	85.4	$12,811	$245	$12,565
Waunakee Heritage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	501 South St	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 849-2030	547	45	12.0	10.2%	443 (81.0%)	6 (1.1%)	56 (10.2%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.1%)	73.8	255^th of 1061 public elementary schools	76.0%		74.9	221^st of 1067 public elementary schools	79.3%	34	65.3	62.5		73.5	68.0		76.6	62.5	$13,784	$322	$13,462
Waunakee Prairie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	700 N Madison St	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 849-2200	533	44	12.2	7.3%	451 (84.6%)	12 (2.3%)	37 (6.9%)	15 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	85.3	83^rd of 1061 public elementary schools	92.2%		81.7	138^th of 1067 public elementary schools	87.1%	55	73.1	75.5		79.8	81.9		78.7	72.3	$14,039	$314	$13,725
Lindbergh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4500 Kennedy Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-6500	180	18	10.1	71.1%	34 (18.9%)	62 (34.4%)	32 (17.8%)	24 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (15.6%)	13.7	928^th of 1061 public elementary schools	12.5%		7	979^th of 1067 public elementary schools	8.2%	51	9.5	28.6	13.3	14.3	47.6	6.7	42.9	33.3	$18,334	$1,271	$17,064
Gompers Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1502 Wyoming Way	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4520	227	22	10.3	53.3%	105 (46.3%)	56 (24.7%)	32 (14.1%)	7 (3.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (10.6%)	31.1	804^th of 1061 public elementary schools	24.2%		32	797^th of 1067 public elementary schools	25.3%	7	53.6	38.1	60.0	53.6	26.2	36.7	45.2	31.0	$15,566	$973	$14,594
Mendota Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4002 School Rd	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7840	308	28	11.1	79.9%	50 (16.2%)	169 (54.9%)	40 (13.0%)	15 (4.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.4%)	28.9	821^st of 1061 public elementary schools	22.6%		15.9	913^th of 1067 public elementary schools	14.4%	92	19.4	47.1	19.4	12.9	54.3	22.9	58.8	58.8	$15,399	$1,285	$14,115
Lake View Elementary	Public	K-5	1802 Tennyson Ln	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4040	267	29	9.2	72.7%	48 (18.0%)	56 (21.0%)	59 (22.1%)	82 (30.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.9%)	16.2	913^th of 1061 public elementary schools	13.9%		15.8	915^th of 1067 public elementary schools	14.2%	2	28.6	21.4	23.3	16.3	50.0	30.0	38.1	33.3	$18,068	$1,210	$16,859
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-3	4352 Windsor Rd	Windsor	53598	Dane County	De Forest Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 842-6300	530	39	13.6	16.4%	425 (80.2%)	17 (3.2%)	41 (7.7%)	13 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.0%)								(n/a)	56.1			74.0					$11,706	$180	$11,527
Yahara Elementary	Public	K-3	234 N Lexington Pkwy	De Forest	53532	Dane County	De Forest Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 842-6400	354	25	14.1	21.2%	290 (81.9%)	8 (2.3%)	34 (9.6%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)								(n/a)	66.7			66.7					$13,526	$408	$13,119
Sandburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4114 Donald Dr	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-7940	392	40	9.7	64.3%	79 (20.2%)	59 (15.1%)	197 (50.3%)	21 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.9%)	9.1	954^th of 1061 public elementary schools	10.1%		18.1	903^rd of 1067 public elementary schools	15.4%	51	29.7	19.0	30.2	20.3	13.8	28.3	25.9	15.5	$15,782	$1,179	$14,604

Arboretum Elementary

Arboretum Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waunakee Community School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for all students at Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Arboretum Elementary

Rank History for White students at Arboretum Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Arboretum Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Arboretum Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Arboretum Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Arboretum Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Arboretum Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Arboretum Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Arboretum Elementary

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