Enrollment
328
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beaver Dam, WI
Jefferson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550096000125
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Beaver Dam · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 52.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Beaver Dam, WI.
School address
District: Beaver Dam Unified School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550096000125 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, enrolling 328 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 328 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #88.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 328 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Beaver Dam's public schools, it stands alongside Prairie View Elementary (337 students): Jefferson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.1:1 vs 12:1).
Beaver Dam Unified School District also operates Beaver Dam High (1,031 students) and Beaver Dam Middle (633 students) alongside Jefferson Elementary.
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 compares
Jefferson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.0% | ▲ 35% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 328 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
328
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 34% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,490
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 57.3%
Hispanic or Latino 33.8%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.3, Jefferson Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaver Dam Unified School District, which includes Jefferson Elementary.
$13,490
Per student
-10%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.1%
State 56.3%
Federal 10.5%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beaver Dam Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,031
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 260
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Beaver Dam
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~328 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Beaver Dam Unified School District'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
How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?
Jefferson Elementary has 328 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beaver Dam, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary is 12.1:1, which is 16% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 23% 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?
52.0% of students at Jefferson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Elementary is White at 57.3% of enrollment, in Beaver Dam, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elementary?
Jefferson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 rank among schools in Beaver Dam?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Beaver Dam, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Beaver Dam on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?
Jefferson Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. 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 Beaver Dam Unified School District?
Besides Jefferson Elementary, Beaver Dam Unified School District also operates Beaver Dam High (1,031 students), Beaver Dam Middle (633 students), and Prairie View Elementary (337 students). See the Beaver Dam Unified School District 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.