Milton reports steady enrollment but drop in 4K; Forward test results above state averages

The Milton School District reported a total enrollment of 3,426 students for the 2025 school year, and district officials told the board the decline from last year is concentrated in four‑year‑old kindergarten rather than across all grades.

Superintendent Rich Ross told the school board on Oct. 13 that the district’s third‑Friday count — the annual statewide enrollment snapshot — shows an adjusted headcount down by 25 students from last year and that total full‑time equivalent (FTE) enrollment is down by 24. "The total is 3,426 students this year," Ross said during the superintendent’s update.

Why it matters: District enrollment drives staffing, state aid calculations and the district’s revenue limit. Board members and administrators said the 4K decline reflects a broader statewide drop in births rather than local churn.

Administrators said kindergarten through grade 12 is up compared with last year, while the 4K cohort dropped by roughly 240 students compared with the prior year; the district described the 4K decline as consistent with an 18% statewide decline in annual births from 2007 to 2023.

Alongside enrollment figures the district presented Wisconsin Forward (state assessment) data from the spring administrations. Ross and staff said the district’s composite proficiency rates for tested grades were above state averages: 62.7% proficient in English language arts (ELA), 68.1% proficient in math, 56% in science (grades 4 and 8) and 63.9% in social studies (grades 4, 8 and 10). Ross noted the ELA and math results were 11.1% and 15.3% higher, respectively, than statewide averages.

District staff cautioned that the state’s report card release is embargoed until Nov. 11 and that the board would receive the official report card data at that time. The superintendent recommended the board review the full report card and other assessment details at a data workshop planned for the first meeting after the release.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members asked whether the proficiency percentages were composites across tested grades; administrators confirmed the ELA and math percentages represent overall proficiency among third through eighth graders. Officials said they will share trend analysis and comparisons with neighboring Rock County districts and the Badger Conference during upcoming board briefings.