Hartford Avenue Elementary, Milwaukee WI

Original Research by School Decision on Hartford Avenue Elementary

Hartford Avenue Elementary is a regular public school in Milwaukee, serving students from prekindergarten through eighth grade under the Milwaukee School District. It is a relatively small school for a PK-8 building, and the student body is overwhelmingly African American. A very large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this a school where economic disadvantage is the norm, not an exception. The small remaining share of the student population is composed of children who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, or white, with almost no Asian, Native American, or Pacific Islander representation. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet, and Title I status was not available in the data.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Hartford Avenue Elementary posted proficiency rates that are low by any measure. In both math and English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits or low teens for most tested grades, with a handful of grade-level subject combinations recording zero proficient students. Science and social studies results were somewhat higher in fourth grade, where roughly one in five students met the bar, but eighth-grade science produced no proficient scores at all. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of all Milwaukee County schools for which data was reported. A parent considering this school should be aware that state test results reflect very low academic attainment, and the data does not include information on special education or English learner status, which might provide additional context. That said, the participation rates on the tests were high, so the results represent nearly all enrolled students in the tested grades.

The school sits in Milwaukee, a city that is the state's largest and most economically diverse, with major corporate headquarters, a lakefront identity, and a dense urban fabric shaped by rivers and a legacy of industrial manufacturing. The neighborhood around Hartford Avenue is on the city's east side, an area that includes the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a mix of older housing stock. Housing values in the immediate zip code are above the state average and roughly in line with national benchmarks, though the overall Milwaukee County housing market has seen median listing prices climb modestly in recent years. The city remains one of the most racially segregated in the country, and the school's demographics reflect that broader pattern.

At the district level, Milwaukee Public Schools is in a period of financial strain and facility reorganization. A large referendum passed in 2024 to fund accessibility projects in aging school buildings, and the district is implementing a long-range facilities plan that may lead to school closures or consolidations. A significant budget deficit is projected for 2025-26, with possible cuts to programs and staffing. These factors mean that families at Hartford Avenue Elementary may experience changes in building conditions, school assignments, or available services in the coming years.

For a parent trying to understand whether this school fits, the picture is straightforward. The peer environment is almost entirely low-income. The academic results on state tests are very low relative to other schools in the county. The school is not a choice or alternative program; it is a regular attendance-area school. The district pressures described above add uncertainty. A family considering this school would want to look into what supports are in place for students who are below grade level, what enrichment or programming the school offers beyond the tested subjects, and what the school's culture of attendance and engagement looks like, as the data does not speak to those factors. The information available gives a clear sense of challenge but does not answer every practical question a parent might have.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 45%

School 5% · District 19% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 18% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 47 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 18%

▼ 36 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 70%

School 0% · District 22% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 19% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 39%

School 9% · District 22% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 22% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 21% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 24% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 28% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 84%

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

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 20% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 30 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 22% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 36% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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