Doerfler Elementary, Milwaukee WI

Original Research by School Decision on Doerfler Elementary

Doerfler Elementary is a regular public school in Milwaukee that serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates within the Milwaukee School District, Wisconsin’s largest district. The school is located in an urban residential neighborhood near the southern edge of the city. For families, the setting means children can walk or take a short bus ride; the surrounding area is a dense mix of homes and small businesses.

The student body is diverse. The large majority of students are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, white, Asian, and multiracial students. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a community with significant economic need. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.

Academically, state testing results from the most recent school year show that proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades are low. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from a small percentage in third grade to roughly a quarter in eighth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: very low proficiency in the early elementary grades, rising modestly by eighth grade. Science and social studies results followed the same general shape, with a visible uptick in eighth grade compared to fourth grade. When compared with other schools across the state, the overall proficiency index places Doerfler in the bottom quartile of its county’s districts. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place, particularly in the earlier grades where proficiency rates are lowest.

Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. That metric applies only to high schools.

The school does not offer high school level programs such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education pathways, as its grade band ends at eighth grade. Families of students with disabilities or who are English learners should note that special population data was not available for this school. A parent may want to contact the school directly for information about services for students with individualized education programs or language support.

Milwaukee is a large city with a deep history as a manufacturing and port hub. It has a mix of downtown cultural institutions, lakefront parks, and distinct neighborhoods shaped by waves of immigration. The city has five Fortune 500 company headquarters, a large healthcare sector, and a brewing legacy. It remains one of the most racially segregated cities in the United States, a pattern rooted in historic redlining. The population has declined at each census count, but the regional economy has continued to grow. The district that Doerfler Elementary belongs to, Milwaukee Public Schools, is working through a long-range facilities plan that includes building accessibility projects funded by a recent voter-approved referendum. The district is also projecting a budget deficit for the coming school year, driven by declining enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds, and is considering cuts that could affect programs and staffing. A parent should be aware that these district-level challenges may influence school-level resources and class sizes in the near term.

Doerfler Elementary sits in a pocket of the city where housing costs are below the Milwaukee County median. For a family considering this area, the housing market is relatively affordable compared to the city and county averages.

This is a neighborhood school serving a community with high economic need. The academic results are low, and the district is under financial pressure. A parent weighing this school should consider what kind of academic supports and enrichment the school provides, and whether the peer environment and urban setting match what they want for their child.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 32%

School 2% · District 24% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 19% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 47 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 18% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 611%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · District 22% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 19% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 32%

School 2% · District 22% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 21% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 28% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 29% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 20% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 32% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 36% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolMilwaukee 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.