Elmbrook is the top school district in the state, report says. Whitefish Bay and Mequon-Thiensville are next.

The Elmbrook School District has been ranked top dog for school districts in the state of Wisconsin by Niche.

Niche, an online rankings site, ranks schools, companies and neighborhoods based on reviews, report cards and rankings and other factors. Schools are ranked based on their academics, diversity, teachers, college prep, clubs and activities, health and safety, administration, sports, food and resources and facilities.  

Other Now News Group school districts joined Elmbrook in the top 10, including Whitefish Bay, Mequon-Thiensville, Shorewood, Greendale, Cedarburg and Pewaukee.

Elmbrook 

Niche gave Elmbrook A+ grades for its academics, teachers, clubs and activities, administration, college prep and sports; A grades in food, health and safety and resources, and a B grade in diversity for an overall grade of A+.

Elmbrook's Niche profile says the district has 6,912 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade with a 15-1 student-teacher ratio. State test scores show 68% of the district's students are at least proficient in math, and at least 62% of its students are at least proficient in reading.

“We are proud of our great school district and appreciative of the external recognition from niche.com,” said Elmbrook Chief Strategy Officer Chris Thompson.

Through its rankings, Thompson said Niche attempts to share a broader story beyond student achievement, and Elmbrook recognizes the value of combining those results with stakeholder feedback.

“We are humbled that so many of our students and families choose to share their positive experiences online, and we recognize the power of their words and opinions in influencing others seeking to move to our community,” he said.  

Whitefish Bay

The Whitefish Bay School District took second in the state, earning A+ grades in academics, teachers, college prep, clubs and activities, health and safety and sports; A grades in administration and resources in facilities and C+ grades in food and diversity for an overall grade of A+.

Whitefish Bay's Niche profile says the district has 3,035 students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade and a 16-1 student-teacher ratio. State test scores show 72% of students are at least proficient in reading, and 66% of the district's students are at least proficient in math.

"This type of recognition is great, and it also reflects our entire community's support and commitment to high-quality public schools," said Whitefish Bay Superintendent John Thomsen. "I continue to be impressed with the very positive working relationships our teachers and staff have with our students and parents. This collective commitment fosters and exceptional educational experience for all."  

Mequon-Thiensville

The Mequon-Thiensville School District ranked third, and earned A+ grades in academics, clubs and activities and sports; an A grade for teachers; A- grades for administration and health and safety; B+ grades in food and facilities and resources and a B- grade in diversity for an overall grade of A+.

Mequon-Thiensville's Niche profile says the district has approximately 3,700 students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade and a 16-1 student-teacher ratio. State test scores show 71% of the district's students are at least proficient in reading, and 67% of the district's students are at least proficient in math.

"I am proud that the Mequon-Thiensville School District has been consistently named one of the top school districts in the state of Wisconsin. Thank you to our students, staff, families and community members for all playing a role in igniting each student’s passion for learning," said Mequon-Thiensville Superintendent Matthew Joynt.

Shorewood

The Shorewood School District took fifth in the state and earned A+ grades in academics, teachers and college prep; an A grade in administration; A- grades in clubs and activities and sports; B+ grades in diversity and resources and facilities and a B- grade in food for an overall grade of A+.

Shorewood's Niche profile says the district has 2,161 students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade and a student-teacher ratio of 15-to-1. State test scores show 63% of the district's students are at least proficient in math, and 61% of the district's students are at least proficient in reading. 

Finishing ahead of Shorewood in the state was the Middleton-Cross Plains School District in fourth.

Greendale

Greendale is No. 6 on the list and one of only 13 schools in the state to earn an A+ grade from Niche.

Greendale Superintendent Gary Kiltz said the district is excited to earn a top 10 ranking.

“Our staff members work diligently every day to do their best to meet student needs. We are also inspired by how our students come to school eager and ready to learn,” Kiltz said. “This is all made possible by tremendous support from our families and the greater Greendale community that takes great pride in our schools and advocates for student success with high expectations for our work.”

Greendale has 2,664 students in grades prekindergarten through 12, according to Niche, and a student-teacher ratio of 15-to-1.

According to state test scores, 64% of students are at least proficient in reading, and 58% of students are at least proficient in math.

Kiltz said while the district appreciates the Niche ranking, there are many other ways Greendale measures student success.

“We consider career and college readiness indicators, how strongly our students feel connected to their schools, and how we are meeting social and emotional needs in conjunction with the school report card and testing data markers that Niche uses,” he said.

Cedarburg

The Cedarburg School District was named the eighth-best district in the state. Cedarburg earned A+ grades in academics, teachers, college prep and health and safety; an A grade in sports; A- grades in clubs and activities and food; B+ grades in administration and resources and facilities and a C- grade in diversity for an overall grade of A+.

The district, according to Niche, serves 3,088 students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade and a 17-1 student-teacher ratio. State test scores show 70% of the district's students are at least proficient in reading, and 67% of students are at least proficient in math.

Finishing ahead of Cedarburg in the state was the Waunakee Community School District in seventh.

Pewaukee

The Pewaukee School District was ranked 10th by Niche, finishing behind the ninth-ranked Kimberly Area School District. Pewaukee received A+ grades in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, administration, food, college prep and sports; an A grade in health and safety and a C+ in diversity for an overall grade of A+.

According to Niche, the district serves 2,950 students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade with a 17-1 student-teacher ratio. State test scores show 59% of the district's students are at least proficient in reading, while 57% of the district's students are at least proficient in math. 

Other suburban Milwaukee districts

Other Milwaukee-area districts made the top 25 of school districts in the state. 

The Hamilton School District was 11th with an overall grade of A+; the Kettle Moraine School District was 14th with an overall A grade; the Franklin School District was 16th with an overall A grade; the Grafton School District was 18th with an overall A grade; the Menomonee Falls School District was 20th with an overall A grade; the New Berlin School District was 22nd with an overall A grade; Muskego-Norway was 23rd with an overall A grade and the Germantown School District was 25th with an overall A grade. 

To see the top schools in every state, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

Contact Bob Dohr at (262) 361-9140 or bob.dohr@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BobDohr1.