Middle school (grades 6-8) · Springfield, IL

Jefferson Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 173708004431
0/100100/10025/100
👥 S:T ratio
46
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Jefferson Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.

#5 of 5
middle schools in Springfield · Resource Index
25
Resource Index · Lower
13.5:1
students per teacher
517
students enrolled

Jefferson Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Middle School ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Springfield, IL.

School address

Enrollment

517

Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

40.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.5:1

vs 14:1 Illinois avg

-4% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Jefferson Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians

At or below 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 Middle School

Jefferson Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Springfield, Illinois, enrolling 517 students.

At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.

Enrollment of 517 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.

Its student body is led by African American (56%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 95.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Springfield Sd 186 spends $20,525 per pupil, 20% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Discipline events run high: 341 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 517 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Springfield's middle schools, it stands alongside Benjamin Franklin Middle School (709 students): Jefferson Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 13.7:1).

Springfield Sd 186 also operates Springfield High School (1,308 students) and Springfield Southeast High Sch (1,229 students) alongside Jefferson Middle 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 Middle School compares

Jefferson Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Illinois Illinois avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 13.5:1 ▼ 4% 14:1 15.7:1
Enrollment 517 top 28% - -

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

13.5:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher - 4% below state mean
Top 49% in Illinois - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
95.9%
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
$20,525
per pupil, district-wide - above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
85
in-school suspensions + 256 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 66.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.

Overview

Enrollment 517 Top 28% in Illinois - larger than 72% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 13.5:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 173708004431

Student demographics

African American 56.1%
White 25.7%
Two or More 13.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Largest group: African American at 56.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 60.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Jefferson Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 95.9%
In-school suspensions 85
Out-of-school suspensions 256
Expulsions 8

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield Sd 186, which includes Jefferson Middle School.

$20,525
Per student
+20%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 35.9%
Federal 18.1%

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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Springfield High School Larger No free-lunch data Higher S:T ratio
Springfield Southeast High Sch Larger No free-lunch data Higher S:T ratio
Lanphier High School Larger No free-lunch data Similar S:T ratio
Benjamin Franklin Middle School Larger No free-lunch data Similar S:T ratio
Early Learning Center Similar size No free-lunch data Higher S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Springfield Sd 186 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Springfield

4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Middle 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 Middle School

How many students attend Jefferson Middle School?

Jefferson Middle School has 517 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Springfield, IL.

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

The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Middle School is 13.5:1, which is 4% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

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

The largest demographic group at Jefferson Middle School is African American at 56.1% of enrollment, in Springfield, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Middle School?

Jefferson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Jefferson Middle School rank among middle schools in Springfield?

By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Middle School ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Springfield, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Springfield on the city page.

Is Jefferson Middle School a good school?

Jefferson Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois 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 Springfield Sd 186?

Besides Jefferson Middle School, Springfield Sd 186 also operates Springfield High School (1,308 students), Springfield Southeast High Sch (1,229 students), and Lanphier High School (1,117 students). See the Springfield Sd 186 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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