Schenk Elementary

Set in Madison, Wisconsin, Schenk Elementary is an average-sized K-5 school, operated by Madison Metropolitan School District. It teaches 394 students across grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 323 students per school, that is 22% bigger than typical.

Schenk Elementary is one of 53 schools operated by Madison Metropolitan School District, a district that serves 25,155 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Schenk Elementary reports that 35% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder is composed of 29% White, 20% Black, 10% multiracial, 5% Asian. By comparison, Dane County as a whole is about 8% Hispanic, so the school skews meaningfully more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.4:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 14.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 58% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Dane County (around 32%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

With demographic context factored in, Schenk Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.0%; this one delivers 30.3%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Dane County put median household earnings sit near $89,975, roughly 55% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Dane County's 169 public schools (combined enrollment of about 78,525 students), Schenk Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Whitehorse Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Schenk Elementary at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 42.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 6%: 421 students in 2018 compared to 394 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked up from 28% to 35%.

On this page, members of the Schenk Elementary community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.