Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dickinson, ND

Jefferson Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380003800134
0/100100/10042/100
👥 S:T ratio
22
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
43
📋 Attendance
35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Jefferson Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of North Dakota schools.

#6 of 7
elementary schools in Dickinson · Resource Index
42
Resource Index · Typical
19.5:1
large classes for North Dakota
14.8%
free-lunch eligible

Jefferson Elementary School has class sizes larger than 97% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Dickinson, ND.

School address

Enrollment

370

North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

19.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

19.5:1

vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg

+65% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

14.8%

vs 28.2% North Dakota avg

-48% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Jefferson Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Jefferson Elementary School

Jefferson Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Dickinson, North Dakota, enrolling 370 students.

Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 97% of North Dakota schools and 65% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.8% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 370 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 498 scored North Dakota schools.

Against 96 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #66.

Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).

Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Dickinson 1 spends $14,801 per pupil, 20% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Among Dickinson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prairie Rose Elementary School (490 students): Jefferson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 16.9:1).

Dickinson 1 also operates Dickinson High School (1,022 students) and Dickinson Middle School (944 students) alongside Jefferson Elementary School.

Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Jefferson Elementary School compares

Jefferson Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Dakota North Dakota avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.5:1 ▲ 65% 11.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 14.8% ▼ 48% 28.2% 51.7%
Enrollment 370 top 19% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
370
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
14.8%
free-lunch eligible - 48% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher - 65% above state mean
Top 97% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,801
per pupil, district-wide - below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

  • Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
  • Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
  • F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.

Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.

Student demographics

White 82.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.3%

Largest group: White at 82.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 31.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 31.0, Jefferson Elementary School is about as mixed as the North Dakota school average of 29.7.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dickinson 1, which includes Jefferson Elementary School.

$14,801
Per student
-20%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 49.9%
Federal 14.4%

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.

How Jefferson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Dickinson High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Dickinson Middle School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Prairie Rose Elementary School Larger Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Lincoln Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Heart River Elementary School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Dickinson 1 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Dickinson

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Similar elementary schools statewide

Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elementary School's federal record.

Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.

Frequently asked questions about Jefferson Elementary School

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary School?

Jefferson Elementary School has 370 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dickinson, ND.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary School is 19.5:1, which is 65% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson Elementary School?

14.8% of students at Jefferson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Jefferson Elementary School is White at 82.4% of enrollment, in Dickinson, ND.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elementary School?

Jefferson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Jefferson Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Dickinson?

By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 elementary schools in Dickinson, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Dickinson on the city page.

Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?

Jefferson Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of North Dakota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.

What other schools are in Dickinson 1?

Besides Jefferson Elementary School, Dickinson 1 also operates Dickinson High School (1,022 students), Dickinson Middle School (944 students), and Prairie Rose Elementary School (490 students). See the Dickinson 1 district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.