South Elementary

South Elementary, a mid-tier elementary-level community in Hartland, Wisconsin, run under Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District, enrolls 332 students, covering grades 3 through 5.

South Elementary is one of 3 schools operated by Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District, a district that hosts 1,091 students overall.

On demographics, South Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (86%); the rest comes out to 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 3% Asian. Compared to Waukesha County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.9:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.7:1 average. Around 15% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), South Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 68.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 74.5%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Waukesha County put the typical household earns roughly $106,076 per year, 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 3%. Across Waukesha County's 113 public schools (combined enrollment of about 60,032 students), South Elementary is one campus in the mix.

North Shore Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts South Elementary at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 80.4%.

The school occupies a suburban site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at South Elementary has edged up 28%, going from 259 students in 2018 to 332 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 92% to 86% across the same window.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.