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Jefferson Traditional School

Public Grades 6-8

416^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 480 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 13% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Jefferson Traditional School is a public middle school located in South Bend, Indiana, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 526. The school is part of the South Bend Community School Corporation, which is ranked 310 out of 380 school districts in Indiana and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Jefferson Traditional School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Indiana middle schools, with proficiency rates in ILEARN English Language Arts, Math, and Science that are significantly lower than the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates were 17.32% in ELA, 11.26% in Math, and 10.56% in Science, compared to the district's 22.21%, 18.82%, and 22.89%, respectively. The school has also experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 39.4% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state and district averages. Despite the relatively high spending per student at Jefferson Traditional School, ranging from $10,639 to $14,027 in recent years, the school's academic performance remains poor.

In contrast, nearby schools within the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, such as Discovery Middle School, Virgil I Grissom Middle School, and Schmucker Middle School, consistently outperform Jefferson Traditional School and the South Bend district, with much higher proficiency rates and overall academic achievement. The high chronic absenteeism rates at Jefferson Traditional School are likely linked to the school's high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as research has shown a strong correlation between poverty and chronic absenteeism.

591

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,480

Per pupil spending ?

59.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

528 S Eddy St
South Bend, IN 46617

(574) 393-4100

District: South Bend Community School Corp

Students who attend Jefferson Traditional School usually attend:

High:	Adams High School
	Rise Up Academy at Eggleston

Feeder schools for Jefferson Traditional School:

Elementary:

Nuner Fine Arts Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.0%

White:

26.4%

Hispanic:

17.6%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Jefferson Traditional School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 19th percentile in 2015 → 13th in 2025

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 17% Indiana)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school14%

District avg21%

416^th of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Middle Schools in the South Bend Community School Corp

310^th of 380South Bend Community School Corp among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	13.3	416 of 480	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	395 of 491	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.4	388 of 489	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	381 of 490	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	387 of 483	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.3	349 of 470	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	375 of 473	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.6	398 of 472	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.7	415 of 494	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.5	391 of 485	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.2	379 of 470	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	33.6	343 of 444	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.3	383 of 447	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	20.9	395 of 451	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	11.5	404 of 428	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	12.5	386 of 423	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	11.7	363 of 392	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.0	365 of 382	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.9	353 of 375	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	8.3	353 of 370	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	13.5	202 of 222	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts17%

Math11%

Science11%

★

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Schools Near Jefferson Traditional School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)				ILEARN Math (2025)				ILEARN Science (2025)		ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Traditional School	Public	6-8	528 S Eddy St	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4100	591	37	15.9	59.4%	156 (26.4%)	248 (42.0%)	104 (17.6%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (13.2%)	13.3	416^th of 480 public middle schools	13.3%		18.8	395^th of 491 public middle schools	19.6%	21	9.3	14.9	26.0	17.3	7.4	12.1	13.6	11.3	10.6	10.6		$13,480	$2,638	$10,843
John J Young Middle School	Public	7-8	1801 N Main St	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-3600	709	50	14.1	29.2%	441 (62.2%)	112 (15.8%)	75 (10.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (11.1%)	30	341^st of 480 public middle schools	29.0%		37.8	313^th of 491 public middle schools	36.3%	28		25.4	28.7	27.0		23.7	17.0	20.4				$13,017	$617	$12,400
LaSalle Academy	Public	6-8	2701 W Elwood	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4700	461	34	13.7	41.6%	190 (41.2%)	114 (24.7%)	109 (23.6%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (8.7%)	94.9	16^th of 480 public middle schools	96.7%		94.2	21^st of 491 public middle schools	95.7%	5	59.9	79.1	84.7	73.4	62.3	49.6	64.2	59.1	70.7	70.7		$15,495	$2,445	$13,050
Jackson Middle School	Public	6-8	5001 S Miami Rd	South Bend	46614	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4500	537	45	12.0	72.3%	81 (15.1%)	238 (44.3%)	153 (28.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (11.5%)	5.2	473^rd of 480 public middle schools	1.5%		8.3	465^th of 491 public middle schools	5.3%	8	3.8	6.4	10.7	7.1	1.9	3.6	5.9	3.8	4.4	4.4		$16,978	$4,182	$12,796
Navarre Middle School	Public	6-8	4702 W Ford St	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-4600	378	40	9.3	79.4%	29 (7.7%)	139 (36.8%)	183 (48.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (6.1%)	4.3	477^th of 480 public middle schools	0.6%		5.8	483^rd of 491 public middle schools	1.6%	6	5.7	6.1	5.6	5.8	2.9	0.9	2.4	2.0	2.9	2.9		$20,817	$4,367	$16,450
Schmucker Middle School	Public	6-8	56045 Bittersweet Rd	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 259-5661	1,041	56	18.7	40.1%	702 (67.4%)	99 (9.5%)	114 (11.0%)	46 (4.4%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (7.2%)	86.2	52^nd of 480 public middle schools	89.2%		85.4	56^th of 491 public middle schools	88.6%	4	51.4	53.1	57.8	54.2	43.6	53.7	60.7	52.9	57.3	57.3		$9,959	$493	$9,466
Career Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3801 Cresent Circle - Suite B	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Career Academy Middle School	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 299-9800	414	50	8.2	60.1%	141 (34.1%)	169 (40.8%)	62 (15.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	38 (9.2%)	18.3	391^st of 480 public middle schools	18.5%		13.2	424^th of 491 public middle schools	13.6%	33	24.1	23.1	23.1	23.4	12.8	16.4	4.8	11.1	21.8	21.8	88.9	$9,707	$1,525	$8,181
Virgil I Grissom Middle School	Public	6-8	13881 Kern Rd	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 633-4061	662	43	15.5	50.6%	450 (68.0%)	58 (8.8%)	81 (12.2%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (9.5%)	71.3	120^th of 480 public middle schools	75.0%		66.7	160^th of 491 public middle schools	67.4%	40	48.0	41.7	54.4	48.0	39.6	39.0	43.8	40.8	41.1	41.1		$11,165	$827	$10,338
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	10050 Brummitt Rd	Granger	46530	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 674-6010	941	46	20.6	19.4%	678 (72.1%)	29 (3.1%)	64 (6.8%)	106 (11.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (6.6%)	98.2	3^rd of 480 public middle schools	99.4%		98.8	2^nd of 491 public middle schools	99.6%	1	68.7	68.5	78.2	71.7	68.3	72.6	80.6	73.7	70.5	70.5		$10,506	$746	$9,760
Jimtown Junior High School	Public	7-8	58903 Cr 3 S	Elkhart	46517	Elkhart County	Baugo Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(574) 294-6586	305	16	19.2	42.6%	221 (72.5%)	4 (1.3%)	53 (17.4%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.5%)	81.5	74^th of 480 public middle schools	84.6%		80.7	76^th of 491 public middle schools	84.5%	2		44.5	50.8	47.2		61.3	39.8	52.2				$10,061	$450	$9,612

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Traditional School

What district is Jefferson Traditional School in?

South Bend Community School Corp

What high school do graduates of Jefferson Traditional School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Traditional School usually go on to attend Adams High School

How many students attend Jefferson Traditional School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 591 students attended Jefferson Traditional School.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Traditional School?

Students at Jefferson Traditional School are 42% African American, 26% White, 18% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races.

Is Jefferson Traditional School a good school?

Jefferson Traditional School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Indiana middle schools.

Rate Jefferson Traditional School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.