Kettle Moraine Middle, Dousman WI

Original Research by School Decision on Kettle Moraine Middle

Kettle Moraine Middle serves grades six through eight in the village of Dousman, a small community in Waukesha County's Lake Country region, about 35 miles west of Milwaukee. Dousman grew from a dairy and railroad-village origin and today is a mix of residential and commercial uses, with a compact downtown core, a growing business park separated to the northeast, and the Glacial Drumlin State Trail running through the middle of town. The village has seen significant territorial expansion through boundary agreements and has a notably diverse housing stock for the county, including multi-family units and affordable developments alongside single-family homes.

State testing data, reported for the 2024-25 school year, shows a student body that performs well across the board. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above sits comfortably above the midpoint among the county’s districts, with eighth-grade results near that same level and seventh-grade results slightly lower but still solid. Math proficiency is also strong, with the seventh-grade cohort posting a particularly high rate. Eighth-grade science and social studies results are similarly positive, with social studies standing out as one of the school's strongest subjects. The school’s overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint relative to districts in Waukesha County.

Students at Kettle Moraine Middle are predominantly white, with modest shares of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races; Asian and Black students each account for a very small portion of enrollment. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is low compared to many schools statewide. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a family with a child in either category may want to follow up with the school directly. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not reported. Because it serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The district that operates this school, Kettle Moraine School District, recently made decisions that will affect families. In November 2024, voters approved both a facilities bond for capital maintenance across district buildings and a recurring revenue limit override that provides permanent additional operating funds. Both measures passed with majority support. Also, the district closed Cushing Elementary School at the end of the 2023-24 school year due to declining enrollment and budget pressures, and consolidated those students into other elementary schools. This means the feeder patterns that send students to this middle school have been restructured, and families moving into the area may want to confirm their attendance zone.

Housing values in the Dousman area reflect a strong market. The typical home value has risen notably over the past year, and the county-wide median listing price is above the national benchmark, though still below the state-level figure. The market shows a high level of demand relative to supply, with homes moving fairly quickly. Rents relative to income are within a typical range, though buying a home in this part of Waukesha County generally requires a substantial income.

This is a middle school where academic results are consistently strong across subjects and grade levels, set in a small but growing village with a distinctive rural identity and a real estate market that reflects broader regional demand. A family considering this school should be aware of the recent district restructuring and the bond-funded facility improvements, both of which shape the experience for students and the financial picture for residents.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 678%

School 78% · District 77%

▲ 24 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 784%

School 84% · District 83% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 75% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 681%

School 81% · District 80% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 778%

School 78% · District 78% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 26 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 77%

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 884%

School 84% · District 84% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolKettle Moraine School District, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income59%Higher-income84%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income56%Higher-income81%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income82%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income59%Higher-income80%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income87%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income80%42 pp gap