According to recent national data, students in Milwaukee Public Schools have declined by an additional 1.5 grade levels in reading over the past decade. This decline places the district 3.6 grade levels below the national average, with the typical eighth-grader reading at approximately a fourth- or fifth-grade level. Statewide, Wisconsin ranks 30th out of 35 states in reading recovery and 33rd out of 38 states in math growth between 2022 and 2025.
The state’s poor showing comes from the Education Scorecard compiled by Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research. Since 2022, statewide reading scores have continued to decline, resulting in students performing more than half a grade level below pre-pandemic benchmarks. In contrast, math scores have remained flat. The data indicate that Milwaukee Public Schools students have continued to lose ground, even as many other Wisconsin districts have recovered from pandemic-related setbacks.
Milwaukee Public Schools, which allocates more than $25,000 per pupil, now sits 3.6 grade levels behind the national average in reading, with typical eighth-graders performing at roughly a fourth- or fifth-grade level, ranking among the worst in the nation. Only about 9 to 15 percent of fourth- and eighth-graders achieve proficiency on recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams.
In contrast, several conservative-leaning suburban and exurban districts have outperformed statewide trends. According to the Harvard scorecard, Fond du Lac, Cedarburg, and Waukesha demonstrated gains and ranked among the strongest in both math and reading recovery. Hamilton, Elmbrook, and Verona Area also excelled in math, while Racine Unified and West De Pere emerged as reading standouts.
Policy analysts and education reformers highlighted the data as evidence that educational outcomes are driven more by governance and institutional priorities than by funding levels alone. Wisconsin’s largest school district serves a heavily Democratic area and has long been cited by school-choice advocates as an example of how expanded educational options can deliver improved results at lower cost for families.
State education officials and Milwaukee Public Schools administrators have acknowledged the literacy crisis and launched new plans, but the decade-long slide underscores ongoing challenges in the state’s largest school district, which serves a heavily Democratic area. School choice advocates have long argued that expanded options, including private and charter schools, yield better outcomes for Milwaukee families at lower per-pupil costs.
