The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in Social studies. The lowest is 81% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pope Farm Elementary
Pope Farm Elementary sits in Middleton, a suburb west of Madison that blends residential neighborhoods with a significant commercial and business district. The school serves students from prekindergarten through fourth grade as a regular public school within the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, and its size by enrollment lands in the typical range for an elementary serving this grade band. Families considering this school should understand what it offers across its limited grade span and what the surrounding community looks like for young children.
Academically, Pope Farm Elementary posts results that place its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades in the top quartile relative to districts in Dane County. On the state Forward assessments, performance is strong. In third grade, math proficiency reaches a high level. In fourth grade, math, English language arts, and social studies each produce similarly strong results, with science also performing well. Across every tested subject and grade, the share of students meeting or exceeding state standards is consistently high, and participation rates are near complete, so the picture is reliable. For a school serving only through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data is available in the record, so a parent wanting to understand attendance patterns would need to follow up with the school directly.
The student body reflects a mix that many families will find characteristic of Middleton’s broader community. A substantial share of students identify as white, with a meaningful share identifying as Asian. The remaining students are spread across other racial and ethnic groups. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, which tracks with the area’s economic profile. This is a school where the peer environment is shaped by families with relatively high household resources, based on the available economic context.
Middleton itself is a growing suburb with a diversified economy spanning manufacturing, life sciences, corporate services, health care, retail, and hospitality. Major employers include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Electronic Theatre Controls, Spectrum Brands, and UW Health. The city has seen steady population growth and in 2023 became the first city in Wisconsin to achieve LEED gold certification, reflecting a citywide sustainability push. Housing values in the zip code associated with the school are well above state and national benchmarks, and rents follow a similar pattern, which means the cost of entry to this attendance area is high. For families already living in the area or planning a move with a budget that supports this housing market, the school sits in a community with substantial civic amenities: a system of parks and conservancy areas, miles of trails, a renovated downtown with restaurants and shops, and proximity to Lake Mendota.
The school does not appear to operate as a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not provided in the data, so no conclusion about federal support programs is possible here. Given the low share of students on free or reduced-price lunch, Title I funding may be less relevant. The district brief did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums or curriculum shifts, so families should expect stability in the district’s operations for now.
For a family with children in prekindergarten through fourth grade, Pope Farm Elementary offers a primary school experience with strong academic results, a low proportion of students in poverty, and a peer group that reflects the broader Middleton community. The housing market is expensive, so this is a realistic option mainly for households that can manage the area’s cost of living. The school’s grade band means students will move on to a different elementary or intermediate setting after fourth grade, so families should also look ahead at where their child would feed next within the district.
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