The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Social studies. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kettle Moraine Explore
Kettle Moraine Explore is a public charter elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the small village of Wales, part of the Kettle Moraine School District. It operates on the Wales Elementary School campus and is classified as a regular school with charter status. The school is small, drawing from a local attendance area within a district that has recently undergone restructuring—Cushing Elementary School was closed after the 2023-24 school year and its students were consolidated into other district elementary buildings.
Wales itself is a historically Welsh village with a residential, commuter character, surrounded by trails and parks. Homes are expensive, the homeownership rate is high, and the community is considered affluent. The Kettle Moraine district passed a substantial facilities bond and a recurring revenue override in late 2024, meaning there is recent investment in infrastructure and permanent operating funding that goes beyond a time-limited referendum. For a family considering Explore, the district’s financial votes signal an intentional commitment to maintaining buildings and programs, though they also affect property taxes.
Academically, the school’s performance on Wisconsin’s Forward Exam shows a mixed profile. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five are strong, with the fifth-grade result standing out as particularly high. Social studies, tested only in fourth grade, also shows a very strong result. Math results are more variable: third and fourth graders perform at a solid level, but the fifth-grade math proficiency rate is noticeably lower. Science, tested in fourth grade, sits in the middle range. When the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is compared with other districts in Waukesha County, it lands below the midpoint of the county’s districts. That comparison is at the district level rather than school level, but since Explore is the only elementary in its attendance area, it gives a useful local reference. A parent may want to ask the school specifically about math instruction in the upper elementary years, particularly the drop between fourth and fifth grade.
The school’s student body is small and predominantly white, with a very small share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available sources. Because Explore serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was also absent from the records we examined.
As a charter school within a district that runs multiple charter programs (the district has charters at the high school level as well, including KM Perform, KM Global, and others), Explore likely offers families an alternative approach within the same public system. The district’s website and public reporting indicate that these charters have distinct missions, though specific program details for Explore—such as its instructional philosophy or theme—were not provided in the data for this narrative. What is clear is that the school is small enough that each grade has a handful of students, which can mean more individualized attention but also less peer variety within a given classroom.
For a family looking at this school, the picture is one of a stable, well-funded district set in an expensive village, with a small charter elementary that performs well in reading and social studies but has a softer spot in upper-elementary math relative to county norms. The recent district restructuring (the closure of one elementary and the passage of new funding) means that attendance boundaries and building use may still be settling. Families should confirm current enrollment zones and transportation arrangements directly with the district. Overall, Explore offers a small-setting elementary option within a district that has invested in its facilities and its operating budget, and where the surrounding community is affluent, suburban, and growing slowly.
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