Milwaukee County Districts: African American students were most represented ethnicity in 2023-24 school year

Of the many ethnicities represented in Wisconsin districts, the most prevalent ethnic group among students enrolled in Milwaukee County districts in the 2023-24 school year were African American, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Of the 117,085 students attending Milwaukee County district schools, 32.9% were African American. White students were the second largest ethnic group among Milwaukee County’s districts, making up 29.1% of the student body.

In the previous school year, African American students were also the most common group in Milwaukee County districts, representing 33% of the student body.

West Allis-West Milwaukee School District had the most even distribution of races among county districts, which included 43.5% of white students, 31.3% of Hispanic students, 12.1% of African American students, 9.3% of multiracial students, 2.9% of Asian students, and 0.1% of Pacific Islander students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county dropped to 1% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Milwaukee County.

White students were more likely to graduate from high school than any other ethnic group in Wisconsin. According to recent US Census data, nearly 95% of white students in the state successfully graduated in 2021.

Graduation rates for Black and Multiracial students lagged behind white students by 10%.

Even further behind, only 71.6% of Hispanic students completed their high school education during the same period, one of the lowest graduation rates in the state.