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Jefferson School

Q: Is Jefferson School a good school?

Jefferson School ranks 1038 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1038^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson School is a public elementary school in Ionia, MI, serving 272 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the Ionia Public Schools district.

Jefferson School has earned a modest 2-star rating, ranking in the 30th percentile of Michigan elementary schools. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 68% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. One of the most notable patterns is a decline in academic performance as students advance through grade levels. In 3rd grade, students actually outperformed the district average in English Language Arts (41.7% vs. 34.8%), but by 5th grade, proficiency drops to just 22.5%—well below both the district (33%) and state (43.8%) averages. This slide is even more dramatic in math, where only 15% of 5th graders are proficient compared to 32.2% statewide. Chronic absenteeism has improved significantly from a pandemic peak of 41.4% down to 22.5%, though this rate remains higher than at RB Boyce Elementary School (13.4%) and AA Rather School (16.8%).

There are some bright spots worth noting. Jefferson's Special Education students have performed notably well, ranking in the 57th percentile statewide in recent years—a strength that suggests effective support strategies for students with learning differences. The school also spends more per student ($14,955) than several district peers, including RB Boyce Elementary School ($12,432) and AA Rather School ($12,569), yet those schools achieve better overall results. This spending-performance gap suggests the school may need to examine how resources are allocated. When comparing schools, AA Rather School stands out as the district's top performer, with 5th grade ELA proficiency more than double Jefferson's. While Jefferson faces real challenges—particularly in math and sustaining growth through upper elementary—its improvement in attendance and success with special education students show that targeted efforts can make a difference.

272

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,955

Per pupil spending ?

68.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

420 N Jefferson St
Ionia, MI 48846-1328

(616) 527-2740

District: Ionia Public Schools

Students who attend Jefferson School usually attend:

Middle:	Ionia Middle School
High:	Ionia High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.7%

Hispanic:

18.8%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Jefferson School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 12th percentile in 2021 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 30th (2026) from a 12th-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Science scores 15 pts below the Michigan average

!Near the bottom of Ionia Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg31%

Michigan avg38%

1,038^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Ionia Public Schools

415^th of 625Ionia Public Schools among Michigan 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	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.0	1038 of 1492	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.0	980 of 1488	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.8	1071 of 1486	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.7	1134 of 1470	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	1018 of 1344	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	1009 of 1153	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	930 of 1408	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.1	815 of 1448	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.5	841 of 1466	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.5	1011 of 1548	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	42.2	969 of 1580	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	54.5	747 of 1533	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	34.7	1117 of 1563	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.6	1093 of 1566	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.5	1046 of 1552	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.0	1002 of 1552	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.0	973 of 1589	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.7	859 of 1577	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	77.7	254 of 1565	83.8%	★★★★☆
2006	61.0	695 of 1545	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.8	903 of 1343	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.5	870 of 1338	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.2	965 of 1342	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	1031 of 1321	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.0	870 of 1106	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.5	669 of 1171	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	827 of 1443	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	914 of 1352	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.9	677 of 1346	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	1005 of 1381	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.9	996 of 1350	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	779 of 1099	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.3	624 of 749	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.6	507 of 1134	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	716 of 1397	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	917 of 1372	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.1	993 of 1366	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	1000 of 1347	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	1040 of 1334	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.2	826 of 1139	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.9	821 of 1196	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.5	776 of 1446	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	51.5	96 of 225	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	92 of 403	77.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	20.3	1001 of 1199	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.6	1037 of 1206	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.7	1088 of 1204	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	1106 of 1198	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	1002 of 1102	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	948 of 1005	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	916 of 1128	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.9	755 of 1253	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2024)57th percentile+29 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile~ school

White (2026)17th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts31%-10 vs state

Math25%-13 vs state

Science25%-15 vs state

Social Studies18%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jefferson School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 N Jefferson St	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-2740	272	15	18.1	68.4%	206 (75.7%)	1 (0.4%)	51 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.8%)	28	1038^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.4%		32	980^th of 1488 public elementary schools	34.1%	58	41.7	30.2	22.5		27.8	32.6	15.0		25.0	17.5	$14,955	$1,673	$13,282
Emerson School	Public	PK, KG-5	645 Hackett St	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-8018	166	12	14.0	78.3%	119 (71.7%)	1 (0.6%)	35 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.0%)	31.5	979^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.4%		41.1	846^th of 1488 public elementary schools	43.1%	133	25.0	36.0	36.0		16.7	12.0	24.0		48.0	20.0	$17,009	$1,557	$15,452
North LeValley Elementary School	Public	K-5	2120 N State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Township S/D #2	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	10	1	9.5	40.0%	10 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$27,526	$9,774	$17,752
AA Rather School	Public	PK, KG-5	380 E Tuttle Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-1720	308	15	20.1	51.0%	261 (84.7%)	2 (0.6%)	32 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	51.7	672^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	55.0%		57.1	607^th of 1488 public elementary schools	59.2%	65	37.8	42.9	47.3		31.1	51.8	23.6		43.6	29.1	$12,569	$1,632	$10,937
Haynor School	Public	K-6	1779 Haynor Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Easton Township S/D #6	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	10	2	6.4	30.0%	10 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$21,492	$3,930	$17,561
RB Boyce Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3550 N State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-0571	254	13	19.6	55.9%	229 (90.2%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	35.8	917^th of 1492 public elementary schools	38.5%		31.2	992^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	33.3%	75	37.8	36.7	24.5		43.5	46.9	17.0		24.5	18.9	$12,432	$1,768	$10,663
Twin Rivers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	435 Lou Lemke Ln	Muir	48860	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 522-0005	183	10	19.0	65.0%	154 (84.2%)	3 (1.6%)	17 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.4%)	23.6	1110^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.6%		29.7	1019^th of 1488 public elementary schools	31.5%	91	27.0	23.8	33.3		27.0	19.1	21.2		24.2	15.2	$14,029	$1,783	$12,246
Coon School	Public	K-6	6679 S State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Berlin Township S/D #3	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	15	1	13.0	66.7%	15 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$11,487	$2,640	$8,847
Saranac Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	250 Pleasant St	Saranac	48881	Ionia County	Saranac Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 642-1200	433	28	15.4	44.1%	394 (91.0%)	5 (1.2%)	24 (5.5%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	56.4	605^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.5%		58.6	582^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	60.9%	23	35.6	42.6	41.5	44.1	39.7	42.6	38.5	30.5	44.6	37.5	$15,451	$814	$14,637
Westwood Elementary School	Public	3-5	883 Cross St	Portland	48875	Ionia County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 647-2989	423	25	16.7	37.6%	379 (89.6%)	6 (1.4%)	17 (4.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	37.6	892^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	40.2%		47.9	753^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	49.4%	139	26.1	30.9	36.7		35.1	44.6	31.3		36.7	13.6	$12,860	$1,072	$11,788

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson School

What schools do graduates of Jefferson School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ionia Middle School
High : Ionia High School

Is Jefferson School a good school?

Jefferson School ranks 1038^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jefferson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 272 students attended Jefferson School.

What district is Jefferson School in?

Ionia Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson School?

Students at Jefferson School are 76% White, 19% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Ionia, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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