Brookfield Schools Are Best In Wisconsin: Niche

BROOKFIELD, WI — Brookfield sure is brainy. For the third year in a row and the fourth time overall, the Elmbrook School District was ranked the number one public school district in Wisconsin by Niche.com, which released its 2022 school and district ratings Monday. The district was also ranked number 1 in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2021, according to a district release.

But that’s just the start. Brookfield East High School was ranked the number one public high school in Wisconsin, while Swanson Elementary School was ranked the number one public elementary school. Dixon Elementary School was ranked the #2 public elementary school in Wisconsin, while Pilgrim Park Middle School was ranked the #2 public middle school. Elmbrook was also ranked the #1 district for athletes in Wisconsin, and #3 for the best teachers in Wisconsin. Nationally, the district ranked 48th out of 10,772 public school districts.

The annual rankings combine participant survey data about school and student life, as well as academic data. Each school is given a letter grade for teachers, academics, diversity and more. The Elmbrook district scored A+ in academics, teachers, sports, clubs and activities, administration, and college prep.

“We are so incredibly proud of all that our students and staff have accomplished this past year and this recognition further highlights the importance our community places on a high-quality educational system,” Superintendent Mark Hansen said in a statement. “Our district continues to grow in enrollments and opportunities, and we never lose sight of our commitment to excellence in the preparation of our students for college, career, and life success.”

It doesn’t end there for Brookfield. Brookfield Academy, a K3-12 independent school in Brookwood with l, was ranked the number one private high school in Wisconsin, scoring an A+ for teachers and an A for academics. Brookfield was also ranked #1 for private K-12 schools in Wisconsin, and #2 for best high schools for STEM in Wisconsin.

“It is an exciting honor to be recognized in this way by Niche, a leading site dedicated to helping students find schools and colleges that will be a good fit,” Brookfield Academy spokesperson Melissa Eriksen told Patch in an email. “We've been dedicated to our Mission, to graduate students prepared for college and life, educated in the skills, values, and heritage of responsible, constructive, free people, over many years. It is at the core of what we do and believe it helps us achieve positive results.”

While Brookfield Academy might be #1 for Niche, Eriksen said Niche is not necessarily #1 for Brookfield Academy. “We're certainly happy when an organization like this recognizes the great things we're doing at BA, but things like our 100% college acceptance rate, high percentage of National Merit Semifinalists and Commended students, and the success of our alumni are measures on which we're more focused,” she said.

Niche said its 2022 best schools rankings offer a more “personal” view of schools than its rankings in recent years. Significantly less importance was placed on SAT and ACT scores this year, Niche said. Any factor in its methodology that is related to test scores was reduced by one third.

The company combined ratings from students, alumni and parents with quantitative data from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources to evaluate teachers, resources, facility, extracurricular activity opportunities and other factors. Read more about the methodology here.

Across the country, Niche ranked 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools and 11,846 school districts to come up with its lists and rankings.

Top 5 Public High Schools:

1. The Davidson Academy in Reno, Nevada
2. The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
3. Massachusetts Academy for Math & Science School
4. Maggie Walker Governor’s School in Virginia
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Virginia

Top 5 Private High Schools:

1. Phillips Academy in Massachusetts
2. The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut
3. Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut
4. The College Preparatory School in California
5. Groton School in Massachusetts

Top 5 School Districts:

1. Adlai E. Stevenson High School District in Illinois
2. Glenbrook High School District in Illinois
3. Great Neck Public Schools in New York
4. Community High School District 128 in Illinois
5. Jericho Union Free School District in New York