The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Math. The lowest is 67% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Silverbrook Intermediate
Silverbrook Intermediate serves exactly two grade levels, fifth and sixth, in the West Bend School District. This is a focused transition school that sits between elementary and the district’s middle and high school grades. For a family looking at the West Bend system, Silverbrook is the place where students spend the two years before they move on to a traditional middle school.
The student body is small enough that most families can get to know the school well. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which gives the school a moderate level of economic diversity. The racial composition is predominantly white, with a smaller but present mix of Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and Asian students. The school does not appear to serve as a magnet or charter, and it operates as a regular public school within the district.
On the state Forward assessments, Silverbrook’s results vary by grade and subject. In both fifth and sixth grade, math proficiency is higher than English language arts proficiency for the same grade. Sixth graders overall perform notably more strongly than fifth graders in both subjects. The performance across tested subjects and grades as a combined measure places Silverbrook slightly below the midpoint of the other school districts in Washington County. This is not a top-tier result in the county, but it is also not a distant bottom. A family coming from a district with very high scores might find the numbers middling; a family from a district with lower scores might find them reassuring. The participation rates on the tests are very high, which gives the results a good deal of reliability.
Because Silverbrook only covers fifth and sixth grades, there is no graduation rate to examine. That is expected for a school with this grade span; the metric simply does not apply. Similarly, the data does not include information on chronic absenteeism or discipline rates, so a parent wanting to understand the school climate in those terms would need to ask the school directly.
The West Bend community itself is a mid-sized city with a historic downtown along the Milwaukee River. It has a notable manufacturing and financial-services history, with insurance and printing companies founded there. The city feels largely self-contained as the Washington County seat, though many residents commute to nearby communities for work. The housing market is more expensive than the state average, with home values that have been rising. Rents are somewhat lower than a typical mortgage, which may be relevant for a family deciding whether to buy or rent. The city has a paved riverwalk, a large Saturday farmers’ market, and the Museum of Wisconsin Art downtown. The park system is extensive, and the Eisenbahn State Trail provides recreational access. Population growth has been modest but steady in recent years.
The most significant change brewing in the district is a major one. In early 2026, the school board voted to merge West Bend East and West Bend West high schools into a single high school, effective in the 2027-28 school year. The two schools had shared one campus for many years with students assigned by birth date, so the merger will end that system. This will affect athletics, staffing, and school identity. For a family with a child currently in elementary school, this merger will likely be fully in place by the time that child reaches high school. The district’s decision suggests a long-term shift in how secondary education is organized, and it is worth asking how the transition will be managed.
Overall, Silverbrook Intermediate is a solid, focused school for a specific two-year window in a child’s education. The academic results are decent but not exceptional for Washington County. The school offers a straightforward pathway through the West Bend district, which is itself in the middle of a structural change at the high school level. A parent considering this school should visit, talk to current families about the transition to middle school, and ask about the parts of the student experience that the test scores do not capture.
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