The top reported proficiency rate is 80% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Waunakee Intermediate
Waunakee Intermediate is a regular public school serving fifth and sixth graders within the Waunakee Community School District, a growing suburban district northwest of Madison. The school is one of several campuses in a system that includes three elementary schools, a separate intermediate school, a middle school, and a high school. The district broke ground on a new middle school in 2024, scheduled to open in 2026, reflecting enrollment-driven expansion. A new elementary school, Heritage Elementary, opened in 2024 and redrew attendance boundaries for families in the district.
Academically, this is a high-performing school by any measure its results can speak to. On Wisconsin’s Forward assessments, strong majorities of students in both fifth and sixth grade scored proficient or above in both math and English language arts. The sixth-grade cohort posted especially high proficiency rates in both subjects. When compared with other schools across all tested subjects and grades, Waunakee Intermediate’s overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile relative to districts in Dane County, a county that already contains several high-performing districts. Participation rates on the state tests were high, meaning the results reflect nearly the whole student body. Because the school serves only grades 5 and 6, no graduation rate data exists, and no chronic absenteeism metrics were available in the data provided.
The student body is of a size typical for a two-grade intermediate school. The population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, or of two or more races. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating relatively low economic need overall. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a family with a child who receives special education services or language supports would want to ask the school directly about those resources.
The community context matters for understanding this school’s environment. Waunakee is a village that has grown steadily as part of the Madison metropolitan area, with an annual growth rate described as among the faster in Dane County. The downtown has seen recent streetscape reconstruction, new apartment buildings, and public art investments. The Village Center functions as a community nucleus with a fitness center, gymnasium, meeting rooms, and senior services. The school district itself is the village’s largest employer, followed by a mix of manufacturing, brewing, and corporate operations located in a business park. Housing values in the zip code are well above the state and national medians, and rents are correspondingly high, which together signal a well-off but expensive market. Families moving into the area should be prepared for elevated housing costs relative to much of Wisconsin.
The school’s physical campus is separate from the elementary and middle school buildings, consistent with the district’s practice of having dedicated campuses for each grade band. The school is located on Woodland Drive in a residential part of the village. Beyond the recent elementary opening and the planned middle school, no other major district changes surfaced in the research available; families may want to check with the district about any forthcoming operational updates.
In short, Waunakee Intermediate offers a strong academic foundation in a growing, affluent suburban community. Its students are performing at a high level on state assessments, and the district is investing in facilities to keep pace with enrollment. The combination of high housing costs and low economic need among the student body means this is a place where families who can afford the area’s real estate will find a well-resourced, academically rigorous intermediate school environment.
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