Bethune Academy, Milwaukee WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bethune Academy

Bethune Academy is a regular Milwaukee public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It sits within the Milwaukee School District, the state’s largest, and draws its students from the city’s near-west side. The school is named after educator Mary McLeod Bethune, and according to available records it operates as a standard neighborhood school rather than a charter or magnet.

Milwaukee itself is a dense, historically industrial city on Lake Michigan, shaped by waves of immigration and by a legacy of redlining that left it one of the most racially segregated cities in the country. The city’s population has been declining for decades, and the district is feeling that pressure. Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved a long-term facilities plan that may lead to school closures or consolidations as it addresses aging buildings and shrinking enrollment, and the district is projecting a budget shortfall tied to falling student numbers and the expiration of federal pandemic relief. A recent voter-approved referendum will fund accessibility upgrades across district buildings, so some physical improvements are ahead, but the broader financial picture remains tight.

At Bethune Academy, the student body is small for a PK-8 school serving roughly that enrollment over ten grade levels. The vast majority of students come from households with low incomes, with a share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals that is nearly universal. Racially, the school is predominantly Black and Asian, with a much smaller number of Hispanic students and a very small white population. This composition reflects the surrounding neighborhood and the district’s overall demographics.

State testing data is available for the 2024-25 school year. Across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low in every tested grade, and the pattern was consistent: most grades saw proficiency rates below one-fifth, with several falling into single digits. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, placed it in the bottom quartile among districts in Milwaukee County. That is a plain fact from the comparison data, and a parent considering this school would want to understand what academic supports are in place and how the school works with students who are below grade level. The data does not include information about special education services or English learner programs, so a parent may need to ask the school directly about those populations.

Because Bethune Academy stops at eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available for this profile. The school’s website and directory information are present in the record, but the more detailed program offerings, course access, and staffing ratios were not provided.

For families living in this part of Milwaukee, the housing market has shown modest appreciation, with typical home values and rents rising over the past year. The county’s housing supply and demand scores suggest a market that is still active but cooling slightly. The city’s economy is anchored by major corporate headquarters in finance, manufacturing, and health care, though the poverty rate remains high and median household income is below the state average.

Bethune Academy is a neighborhood school serving a high-needs population within a large urban district under financial strain. Its test results indicate that most students are not meeting state proficiency benchmarks, and the school ranks low compared to other Milwaukee County districts. A family evaluating this school would want to visit, talk to staff about how the school supports struggling students, and ask about any recent changes tied to the district’s facilities plan.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 24% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 46%

School 6% · District 19% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 18% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 78%

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

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

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 19% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 22% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 22% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 21% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 28% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 29% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 20% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 814%

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

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below 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 838%

School 38% · District 36% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · even with 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.