Milestone Democratic School, Madison WI

Original Research by School Decision on Milestone Democratic School

Milestone Democratic School is a small public charter school in Madison, Wisconsin, serving grades six through twelve. It operates as its own district, Milestone Democratic School Inc, a single-school charter district. The school’s name and charter status signal a commitment to democratic, student-led governance, though specific details of its model are not elaborated in the available data.

Madison is a mid-sized state capital and university city with a diverse economy anchored by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, state government, UW Health, and private-sector employers such as Epic Systems and American Family Insurance. The downtown sits on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, with the Capitol at one end and the university campus at the other, connected by the State Street pedestrian mall. The city is known for its progressive political culture, extensive bike paths, and high number of parks per capita. It is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin, with new housing and commercial construction, particularly on the isthmus and expanding east and west side neighborhoods. The housing market in the ZIP code area where the school is located reflects a typical Madison pattern: home values above national benchmarks and rents rising, though the school’s student body does not carry the full weight of that market, as only a small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Enrollment is very small, with students distributed unevenly across grades. The middle school grades have modest numbers, the high school grades show a slightly larger cohort in grades nine and eleven, and grade twelve has no enrolled students, which means a graduation rate cannot be calculated and the school has not yet produced a graduating class. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares identifying as two or more races, Hispanic, Asian, and Black. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals is low, suggesting a majority of families are not low-income by that measure.

Academic performance on state assessments presents a mixed and incomplete picture. In sixth grade, tested math proficiency was low, with a participation rate well below typical levels, and reading proficiency was also low, again with low participation. Seventh grade results for both math and reading were suppressed, meaning too few students tested to report. In eighth grade, math and reading proficiency were stronger, and science and social studies proficiency were notably high, with a solid participation rate. The school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint when compared with districts in Dane County. A parent looking at these results will see wide variation by grade and subject, and the low participation rates in some grades raise questions about how representative the reported scores are.

Program offerings were not reported in the data, so it is not possible to describe what courses, electives, or pathways the school provides. The district search found no recent property-tax referenda, curriculum changes, or other lasting parent-relevant developments for this single-school charter district.

Milestone Democratic School is a distinctive option for a family drawn to a very small, charter-governed environment with a democratic ethos, set in a fast-growing and politically engaged city. The academic picture is uneven, and for grades where participation was low, a parent may want to ask the school directly about how assessment is approached and what support is in place for students across all grade levels.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 2 students · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

528 schools plotted. 25 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 59 pts below county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 78%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolMilestone Democratic School Inc, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.