1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Richards Elementary right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
680
Elementary
DISTRICT 652 · STATE 323
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WHITEFISH BAY SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 551662002169
Richards Elementary
5812 N Santa Monica Blvd, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 · (414) 963-3951 · Milwaukee County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL680 STUDENTS
A+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 99% of Wisconsin public elementary schools
- A+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Wisconsin public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
18.2:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.3:1 · STATE 14.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 42%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 69 | 10% |
| Kindergarten | 96 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 102 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 117 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 101 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 102 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 93 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (96) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (93).
Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 54% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within Whitefish Bay School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
Forward Exam 2024-25 . % Meeting or AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
87.8%
WI avg 53.1% . +0.9pp since 2023
Math
88.8%
WI avg 54.8% . -2.8pp since 2023
What this means: On the Forward Exam, Wisconsin's statewide test, about 88 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 89 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Wisconsin schools, those numbers are about 53 and 55. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores are down about 3 points.
Forward Exam results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 87.8% | 88.8% |
| 2023-24 | 86.9% | 91.6% |
% Meeting or Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: Forward Exam. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Richards Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Wisconsin | In Milwaukee County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 88.8% | #7 of 992 ▼ 5 | #2 of 174 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 87.8% | #3 of 992 ▲ 1 | #1 of 174 ▲ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 680 | #29 of 1,157 | #8 of 180 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.2:1 | #850 of 901 | #130 of 158 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.3% | #484 of 901 | #98 of 158 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +8.5% | #109 of 240 | #10 of 33 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
680
+48 (+8%) vs 2020
+12% since 1990-91, when it was 609
Student : Teacher
18.2:1
was 17.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 680 | 37.4 | 18.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 680 | 37.7 | 18.1:1 | 1% (6) |
| 2022-23 | 665 | 38.2 | 17.4:1 | 1% (7) |
| 2020-21 | 632 | 36 | 17.6:1 | 1% (5) |
| 2017-18 | 627 | 34.9 | 17.9:1 | 1% (6) |
| 2015-16 | 696 | 38 | 18.3:1 | 0% (3) |
| 2010-11 | 745 | 42 | 17.7:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2000-01 | 635 | 40 | 15.9:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 609 | 33 | 18.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Richards Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 8% (627 to 680); teachers up 7% (34.9 to 37.4).
About Richards Elementary
Richards Elementary is the name of a large elementary school in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Enrollment in 2024-25 was 680 students in pre-K through 5. Against the 323-student average for elementary schools in Wisconsin, enrollment here is 111% higher.
Whitefish Bay School District enrolls 2,861 students, and its 4 schools include Richards Elementary.
At Richards Elementary, White students make up 79% of the student body. It is also 10% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. For comparison, the population of Milwaukee County is roughly 51% White. Richards Elementary's diversity index is 36%, against a US figure of 70%.
The teaching staff at Richards Elementary is 37.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 18.2:1. This ratio sits 3.5 above the 14.7:1 average for elementary schools in Wisconsin.
The allk12 Grade for Richards Elementary is A+. Compared with Wisconsin public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 99% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Milwaukee County census figures show that the median household income is $64,435, roughly 35% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 284 public schools in Milwaukee County, enrolling about 122,496 students in all.
Whitefish Bay Middle is located about 0.9 miles from Richards Elementary. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
Richards Elementary is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, a location NCES labels Suburb: Large.
Compared with 2020-21, the school had 48 more students in 2024-25.
The discussion area below is open to posts about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Milwaukee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
926,331
Census ACS
Median income
$64,435
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
13%
Below federal line
Schools in county
284
122,496 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Whitefish Bay School District
- Whitefish Bay HighHigh · 945 students
- Cumberland ElementaryElementary · 624 students
- Whitefish Bay MiddleMiddle · 612 students
Other schools in Whitefish Bay
- Whitefish Bay HighHigh · 945 students
- Cumberland ElementaryElementary · 624 students
- Whitefish Bay MiddleMiddle · 612 students
Other Richards Elementary schools
2 other US public schools in 3 states are named Richards Elementary. Richards Elementary is the largest of the 3.
- RICHARDS ELEM.WEST PLAINS, MO · 389 students
- Richards Elementary SchoolNewport, NH · 273 students
Nearby schools
- Whitefish Bay Middle0.9 mi · 612
- Parkway Elementary1.1 mi · 490
- Whitefish Bay High1.2 mi · 945
- Nicolet High1.2 mi · 1,043
- Cumberland Elementary1.5 mi · 624
- Pratt Elementary1.6 mi · 288
Frequently asked questions
About Richards ElementaryHow many students attend Richards Elementary?
Richards Elementary enrolls approximately 680 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Richards Elementary serve?
Richards Elementary serves grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Richards Elementary have?
Richards Elementary employs 37 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.2:1.
What is the student diversity at Richards Elementary?
Student demographics at Richards Elementary are roughly 79% White, 6% Hispanic, 1% Black, 4% Asian, 10% Two or more.
Is Richards Elementary public or private?
Richards Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Whitefish Bay School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.