New Berlin West Middle/high, New Berlin WI

Original Research by School Decision on New Berlin West Middle/high

New Berlin West Middle/High is a regular public school in the School District of New Berlin that serves grades seven through twelve from a single campus on the west side of the city. For families in this part of the Milwaukee suburb, the school is a combined middle and high school, meaning students enter in seventh grade and stay through graduation. New Berlin is a car-dependent, largely built-out suburb that transitioned from farmland to a residential and industrial community over the past several decades, and its population has stabilized. The housing market here reflects a suburban area near a major metro: home values are well above the national median and have been rising. The school itself draws from the western portion of the district; the eastern side of town feeds New Berlin Eisenhower Middle/High.

The student body is just over a thousand students spread across six grade levels, which gives the school a moderate feel for a combined seven-through-twelve enrollment. The student population is predominantly white, with a Hispanic cohort making up a noticeable portion; Asian, Black, and multiracial students each represent a smaller presence, and a very small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and American Indian or Alaska Native students are also enrolled. About a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a lower-poverty context. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not available.

On state assessments, New Berlin West’s results are mixed relative to the strong academic context of Waukesha County. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared to other districts in the county. Looking at specific grades and subjects, seventh-grade math proficiency was solid, while seventh-grade English language arts was weaker, with a share of students meeting the bar that a parent may want to ask the school about. Eighth-grade performance was stronger across the board: math, ELA, science, and social studies all showed that a solid majority of students scored proficient or above. Participation rates on the tests were very high, which means the results reflect nearly all students in those grades. Social studies in eighth grade was a particular strength, with a large share of students reaching proficiency.

Because the school combines middle and high school grades, state testing data covers only the middle-level grades, and no high school assessment results or graduation rate were available in the data. A parent looking at academic outcomes for the high school years would need to seek that information directly from the school or district.

The school’s setting within New Berlin shapes the daily experience. The city lacks a traditional downtown; the school campuses are spread out rather than clustered. New Berlin West sits on its own site, and families will drive to reach it. The city’s parks, library, and recreation center provide community anchors, and the industrial parks on the east side are a major source of local employment. The area has seen infrastructure upgrades like the expanded Interstate 43 interchange at Moorland Road, but large-scale new housing development appears limited; the growth cycle here is mature.

New Berlin West Middle/High offers a stable, mid-sized academic setting in a suburban community that is well-established. The proficiency picture is strongest in eighth grade across multiple subjects, with seventh-grade ELA being an area where results are less consistent. For a family choosing between the west and east side high schools in the district, or considering the district from outside, the school’s combined grade span means students experience a single campus transition in seventh grade rather than separate moves to middle and high school. The absence of high school testing data and graduation rate in this profile leaves a gap for anyone evaluating the upper-grade academic trajectory.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

98.0%Cohort of 202 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

528 schools plotted. 25 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 75% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 83% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 72% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 77% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 71% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 83% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolNew Berlin 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income66%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income55%Higher-income78%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income75%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income65%Higher-income81%16 pp gap