Enrollment
270
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fargo, ND
Jefferson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380678000199
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #15 of 20
- elementary schools in Fargo · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.3:1
- small classes for North Dakota
- 74.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 71% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary School ranks #15 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, ND.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.3:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.6%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+165% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fargo, North Dakota, enrolling 270 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 74.6% of students qualify for free meals, 165% above the North Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 270 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and African American (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fargo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Centennial Elementary School (639 students): Jefferson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.3:1 vs 16.4:1).
Fargo 1 also operates Fargo Davies High School (1,277 students) and North High School (1,110 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 | 9.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.6% | ▲ 165% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.3:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 165% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 29% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.8%
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
$16,941
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.0 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 35.6%
African American 22.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Asian 9.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Largest group: White at 35.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.8, Jefferson Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fargo 1, which includes Jefferson Elementary School.
$16,941
Per student
-8%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 48.6%
Federal 15.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo Davies High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ben Franklin Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- Enrollment
- 1,277
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,110
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Fargo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Centennial Elementary School
Standard public school
639 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Bennett Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Osgood Elem School
Standard public school
554 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Independence Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary School
Standard public school
469 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Willow Park Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
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.
Similar enrollment (~270 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fargo 1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
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 270 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fargo, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary School is 9.3:1, which is 21% lower than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 41% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson Elementary School?
74.6% 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 35.6% of enrollment, in Fargo, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elementary School?
Jefferson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Fargo?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary School ranks #15 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, 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 Fargo on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?
Jefferson Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fargo 1?
Besides Jefferson Elementary School, Fargo 1 also operates Fargo Davies High School (1,277 students), North High School (1,110 students), and Discovery Middle School (992 students). See the Fargo 1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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.