Butler Middle, Waukesha WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Butler Middle

Butler Middle is a regular public school in Waukesha, serving grades six through eight as part of the Waukesha School District. It is positioned in Waukesha, a mid-sized city that functions as the county seat and manufacturing hub of Waukesha County, located roughly fifteen miles west of Milwaukee. The city blends a historic downtown along the Fox River with industrial employment centers and established residential neighborhoods. The district itself is in a period of notable restructuring, with elementary schools recently closed or scheduled for closure and a middle school being converted to a STEM school while another is being sold, shifts that alter the pathway options families can expect.

The student body at Butler Middle is substantial for a three-grade middle school, and its composition is predominantly white. Hispanic students make up a considerable share of the enrollment, with much smaller populations of Black, Asian, and multiracial students, and a thin presence of Native American or Pacific Islander students. A meaningful portion of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic diversity. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learner status was not provided.

On state assessments, the school's results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, students in grades seven and eight scored above the midpoint, with roughly three in five students meeting proficiency standards. Sixth-grade ELA performance was softer, with just under half of students reaching that mark. In math, the pattern was uneven. Seventh graders posted a stronger result, with well over half proficient, while sixth and eighth graders each scored around the midpoint, with just under half of sixth graders and just over half of eighth graders proficient. Science and social studies are tested only in eighth grade. On the eighth-grade science assessment, just over half of students were proficient, and on the social studies assessment, roughly three in five were proficient.

When compared to all other districts in Waukesha County, Butler Middle sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. That comparison universe covers twenty-four districts in total, and the median among them is substantially higher than Butler's composite score. This is a soft spot, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how the school supports student learning and whether the proficiency picture aligns with their expectations.

The school's graduation rate is not applicable, as it serves only middle grades. Chronic absenteeism data was also not provided, so there is no available measure of attendance patterns. The school is not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not reported. No data was provided on program offerings such as advanced coursework, arts, or career pathways, which is a gap for a middle school that could be offering a range of exploratory or accelerated options.

The housing market in Waukesha is moderately expensive, with home values and rents above the national median, reflecting the county's overall affluence. The city itself has seen modest population growth in recent years and completed a major water infrastructure project in 2024, shifting from groundwater to Lake Michigan water. The district's ongoing consolidation of elementary schools and restructuring of middle school programming means that attendance boundaries and school options are in flux, a factor families weighing a move should consider carefully. For a family looking at Butler Middle, the academic picture is one of a school that meets or exceeds the state average in several grade-level ELA and math results but sits behind many of its county peers overall.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 56% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 65% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 55% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 760%

School 60% · District 61% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 58% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 52% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 60% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolWaukesha 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 6Lower-income35%Higher-income60%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income73%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income72%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income63%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income78%36 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income71%41 pp gap