The top reported proficiency rate is 90% in Social studies. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Milestone Democratic School Inc
Milestone Democratic School Inc. is a single-school charter district in Dane County, Wisconsin, serving grades six through twelve. Its name signals a democratic school model, a philosophy in which students often share in governance and curriculum decisions, but the available data does not describe how that model operates in practice. The district is small, with a total enrollment that matches a typical small alternative school for its grade span. Enrollment shows no twelfth-grade students in the reported year, so there is no high school graduating class to measure a graduation rate.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share identifying as two or more races, and smaller groups of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, students with disabilities, and English learners was not reported, so the economic and support-need profile of the student population is unknown, a gap a family may want to explore directly with the school.
State assessment results are available for only a few grades and subjects, and the numbers of students tested were very small, which means statewide comparisons carry limited weight. In grade six math, no students scored at the proficient level; in grade eight math, a minority did. In English language arts, grade six showed a modest share proficient, while grade eight reached a high share. Science and social studies results for grade eight were strong, with most students reaching proficiency. For grade seven, results in both math and ELA were suppressed, likely because the tested group was too small to report. Participation rates in state testing were below typical levels, especially in grade six, where fewer than half of enrolled students took the assessments. That pattern may reflect the school’s alternative approach or other factors; a parent may want to ask about how the school engages with state accountability.
Among the two dozen districts in Dane County, Milestone Democratic School Inc. sits below the midpoint for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. Its chronic absenteeism rate falls in the bottom quartile, meaning students are absent on enough school days to be counted as chronically absent at a higher rate than most districts in the county. No data on per-pupil spending or staffing ratios was available.
The district brief turned up no recent property-tax changes, referenda, or curriculum overhauls to report; the school has remained stable in its public profile. No locale brief was provided, so there is no description of the community or housing market surrounding the school. The school’s website was not included in the data, so a parent interested in its democratic approach, student supports, and extracurricular opportunities would need to seek those details independently.
This is a small alternative school district that departs from conventional district structures. Its academic outcomes are uneven and based on very small test groups, and its chronic absenteeism is a concern. For a family drawn to a democratic, student-led learning environment, the school may offer a distinctive pathway, but the evidence available here is thin on outcomes, supports, and community context. Direct inquiry with the school would be essential to understand what a student’s day looks like, how the school addresses attendance, and what students go on to do after graduation.
See more original research from School Decision →