Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies, Milwaukee WI

Original Research by School Decision on Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies

Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies is a regular public school in Milwaukee, part of the Milwaukee School District, serving prekindergarten through eighth grade. Its name signals a thematic focus, but no program offerings or curriculum details were available in the data, so it is not possible to assess how that theme plays out in classrooms. The school sits in a city that is Wisconsin’s largest, a historically industrial port on Lake Michigan with a mix of neighborhoods shaped by German, Polish, African American, and Hispanic settlement. Milwaukee remains one of the most racially segregated cities in the country, and the district itself is large, with a significant share of families facing economic challenges.

The student body reflects that reality. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the school is predominantly Hispanic, with a sizable Black population, a White population of about a fifth, and smaller shares of students who are multiracial, Asian, or Native American. The enrollment is moderate for a PK-8 school, with just over two hundred students spread across the grades. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education and English learner populations were missing, as were chronic absenteeism figures, discipline records, and staffing details. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas.

On state assessments, the picture is mixed and varies noticeably by grade. The youngest tested students, third graders, showed a strong proficiency rate in math, well above the school’s average. But proficiency in math and English language arts generally declines as students move through the grades. By eighth grade, the share of students meeting state standards in math was very low, and in English language arts it was also low. Science and social studies results, available for fourth and eighth grades, were similarly modest, with eighth-grade science proficiency particularly low. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint relative to districts in Milwaukee County. The pattern suggests that early elementary performance is a relative bright spot, while the middle grades, particularly eighth, present a challenge that families may want to explore further with the school.

The district context adds another layer. Milwaukee Public Schools recently passed a large referendum for building accessibility projects, signaling a long-term investment in physical infrastructure. At the same time, the district is projecting a significant budget deficit driven by declining enrollment and the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds, and it is considering program cuts and staffing reductions. A long-range facilities plan may lead to school closures or consolidations. These financial pressures could affect programming and support services at Trowbridge Street in the coming years, though no specific impacts have been announced for this school.

For a family considering this school, what stands out is a school serving a high-poverty urban population with a curriculum that, at least in name, connects to the Great Lakes. The early elementary results are a point of strength, but the academic trajectory through the middle grades is a soft spot. The district’s budget situation and potential reorganization mean that the broader environment is in flux. This is a school where a parent would want to visit, ask about the thematic programming, inquire about how the school supports students in the transition to middle school, and understand what the district’s financial outlook means for class sizes and services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 24% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 19% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 18% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 18% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 22% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 85%

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

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

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 22% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 22% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 27 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 21% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 24% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 28% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 29% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 20% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 22% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 32% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 36% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 2 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.