The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in Social studies. The lowest is 62% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Spring Harbor Middle
Spring Harbor Middle serves grades six through eight in the Madison Metropolitan School District, located in a residential area on the city’s west side near Lake Mendota. With an enrollment that is moderate for a grade band of three grades, the school draws from a surrounding community of single-family homes and apartment buildings in the Spring Harbor neighborhood, a part of Madison that has long been a mix of university faculty families, professionals, and longtime residents.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian presence, a smaller but notable Hispanic share, a similar Black share, and a share of students who identify as two or more races. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a lower rate than the district average and signals a comparatively more affluent catchment. The school does not report data on students with individualized education programs or English learners in the available data, so a family seeking those counts would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, Spring Harbor presents strong results across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency rates rise steadily from grade six through grade eight, reaching a very high level by the end of middle school. Mathematics proficiency rates are solid, with a slight dip in sixth grade and a modest rise by seventh, holding at a level that is broadly consistent across the three grades. Science results for eighth graders are robust, and social studies results for the same grade are at a very high level. When measured against other districts in Dane County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a clear sign of above-average academic performance relative to its regional peers. Participation rates on state assessments were at or near full participation, which means the results are a complete picture of student performance.
Because Spring Harbor is a middle school, it does not have a graduation rate to report. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and we did not find information about Title I status. Data on discipline, attendance, staffing, and course access were not available in the materials we reviewed. A parent may want to ask the school about advanced coursework offerings, such as honors classes or high school credit options, as well as the availability of electives in the arts, technology, and world languages.
Madison itself shapes the context families will experience. It is the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, giving the city an economy driven by government, education, healthcare, and technology. The downtown is a dense, walkable isthmus between two large lakes, with the Capitol Square and State Street pedestrian mall creating a vibrant civic and commercial core. The city has a reputation for progressive politics and is bicycle-friendly with extensive paths and a high number of parks per resident. Major employers include the university, state government, UW Health, and Epic Systems. The population has been growing steadily, and the city has annexed neighboring land to accommodate expansion. Housing values in the school’s zip code are notably high, well above both the state and national benchmarks, and rents have been rising. For a family considering this area, the housing market is expensive relative to the state as a whole, consistent with the desirability of the west side and its proximity to the university and downtown.
The Madison Metropolitan School District has been addressing growth and facility needs in recent years, with publicly reported work on new school construction and building projects, though no specific details tied to Spring Harbor were found in our search. The district serves a large and diverse student population across the city, and Spring Harbor sits within that system as a middle school with a strong academic profile and a relatively low share of students from low-income households. For a family that prioritizes high state test performance and a neighborhood school setting in an academically strong part of the city, this school fits that description well. Families who value a more mixed socioeconomic or racial peer environment, or who need specific support programs, should look into what Spring Harbor offers directly, as the available data does not cover that ground in detail.
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