Congress Elementary

Congress Elementary is an elementary school of substantial scale in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of Milwaukee School District, caters to 607 students in grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 88% bigger than the typical public school in Wisconsin, which averages around 323 students.

Within Milwaukee School District, which oversees 155 schools and 65,835 students, Congress Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Congress Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (91%). Other groups include 4% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. By comparison, Milwaukee County as a whole is about 26% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Congress Elementary shows 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.7:1, putting Congress Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Around 89% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Milwaukee County's rate of about 64%.

With demographic context factored in, Congress Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 22.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 11.9%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Milwaukee County indicate median household income runs about $64,435, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Milwaukee County's 284 public schools (combined enrollment of about 122,496 students), Congress Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Central City Cyberschool, around 0.6 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Congress Elementary ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 10.7%.

Congress Elementary operates from a high-density location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Congress Elementary has ticked down 18%, going from 737 students in 2018 to 607 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 95% to 91% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 25.2:1 in 2018 to 16.0:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.