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Jefferson Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

835^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Wisconsin elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson Elementary is a PK–5 school in Appleton, WI, serving 212 students in the Appleton Area School District. It currently ranks 835 of 1,039 elementary schools in Wisconsin (20th percentile, 1 star), below the district average, and its rank has drifted down from the 46th percentile in 2016–2017. The school serves a high-poverty population—65.57% free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025—and has a low student-teacher ratio of 9.3 and high per-student spending of $20,549.

Compared with nearby schools, Jefferson is not the lowest-ranked—Badger Elementary and Highlands Elementary are at the 17th percentile—but it trails most peers. It has the lowest student-teacher ratio in the peer group, the second-highest per-student spending, and one of the highest chronic absenteeism rates (16.4%), though that is below the state average. Absenteeism has improved a lot from 36.9% in 2021–2022. Test scores are mixed: 5th-grade ELA and math both reached 56.67%, above district and state averages, while 3rd-grade ELA/math, 4th-grade ELA/math, science, and social studies were below district and state. Fourth-grade science (26.67%) and social studies (42.22%) are especially low.

For parents, the main strengths are small classes, high spending, strong 5th-grade results, and improving attendance. The biggest concerns are early-grade achievement, 4th-grade science/social studies, and low-SES student performance: low-income students ranked at the 8th percentile in 2025–2026, down from 27th in 2023–2024. Special education students ranked at the 50th percentile. A striking nearby contrast is Fox River Academy, which shares the same address and ranks at the 91st percentile (5 stars) with much higher test scores; the data do not explain whether that difference comes from school model, enrollment differences, or other factors. Grade-to-grade scores also swing widely, so single-year results should be read cautiously.

212

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,549

Per pupil spending ?

65.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 S Mason St
Appleton, WI 54914-5499

(920) 852-5500

District: Appleton Area School District

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wilson Middle
High:	West High

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.2%

Hispanic:

16.5%

Two or more races:

16.0%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 34th percentile in 2016 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (37% vs 55% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg52%

Wisconsin avg55%

835^th of 1,039

Wisconsin public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Appleton Area School District

253^rd of 432Appleton Area School District among Wisconsin 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	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	835 of 1039	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.5	752 of 1044	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.1	761 of 1061	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.0	712 of 1067	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	782 of 1067	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.6	723 of 1050	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	740 of 1037	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	714 of 1025	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.6	578 of 1071	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.9	709 of 1075	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.3	751 of 1076	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.9	518 of 1061	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.6	417 of 1053	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.2	435 of 1045	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.0	651 of 1046	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.1	675 of 1045	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.9	688 of 1030	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	37.0	793 of 1021	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	60.6	335 of 689	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.7	210 of 712	70.5%	★★★★☆
2005	43.8	432 of 632	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	62.7	276 of 633	56.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	49.1	64 of 137	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.6	118 of 141	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.3	89 of 165	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	12.0	112 of 121	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2019	14.3	269 of 275	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	285 of 287	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	801 of 986	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.7	657 of 1001	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	698 of 1011	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	733 of 1010	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.7	740 of 1017	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	710 of 1004	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.4	682 of 1002	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.4	777 of 997	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2023	62.1	88 of 290	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.2	112 of 266	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.1	172 of 271	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	784 of 848	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.2	752 of 870	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	634 of 866	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.2	515 of 871	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.4	654 of 859	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.1	497 of 847	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.6	600 of 874	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	687 of 854	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	766 of 989	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.1	760 of 1000	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.1	731 of 1012	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.4	594 of 1011	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	733 of 1017	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.2	652 of 1003	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	713 of 1002	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.7	577 of 997	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	135 of 142	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.0	67 of 85	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	393 of 791	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.5	299 of 802	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.2	456 of 790	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.5	431 of 770	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	441 of 748	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.2	356 of 746	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.7	402 of 742	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.2	575 of 721	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	397 of 697	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.0	367 of 718	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	471 of 727	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	514 of 715	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.4	512 of 704	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	416 of 699	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.7	490 of 718	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.2	356 of 686	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2023)70th percentile+36 vs school

African American (2024)53rd percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2026)50th percentile+31 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile+23 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)19th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile-12 vs school

Asian (2026)7th percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)5th percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)2nd percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies42%-23 vs state

English Language Arts40%-13 vs state

Mathematics35%-18 vs state

Science27%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jefferson Elementary

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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)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)					Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)					Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)	Forward Exam Science (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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 S Mason St	Appleton	54914	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5500	212	23	9.3	65.6%	98 (46.2%)	24 (11.3%)	35 (16.5%)	16 (7.5%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (16.0%)	25.1	835^th of 1039 public elementary schools	19.6%		37.5	752^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	28.0%	83	34.3	33.3	56.7			34.3	22.2	56.7			42.2	26.7	$20,549	$609	$19,940
Fox River Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1000 S Mason St	Appleton	54914	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(920) 852-5500	150	8	17.8	23.3%	119 (79.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (12.7%)	84.5	96^th of 1039 public elementary schools	90.8%		80.8	148^th of 1044 public elementary schools	85.8%	52	95.5	90.0	60.0	81.8	66.7	68.2	70.0	60.0	90.9	55.6	90.0	80.0	$10,807	$609	$10,198
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	305 W Foster St	Appleton	54915	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5470	200	21	9.5	64.5%	123 (61.5%)	8 (4.0%)	17 (8.5%)	35 (17.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.0%)	32	786^th of 1039 public elementary schools	24.4%		43	682^nd of 1044 public elementary schools	34.7%	104	26.9	40.9	54.3			50.0	27.3	40.0			54.6	27.3	$18,249	$609	$17,640
Ronald C Dunlap Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 N Mason St	Appleton	54914	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5455	314	31	10.0	65.6%	131 (41.7%)	33 (10.5%)	46 (14.6%)	58 (18.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (14.0%)	31.1	792^nd of 1039 public elementary schools	23.8%		35.4	768^th of 1044 public elementary schools	26.4%	24	40.7	42.1	47.1			51.9	22.8	39.2			54.4	33.3	$18,702	$609	$18,093
Appleton Bilingual School	Public, Charter	K-5	2224 N Ullman St	Appleton	54911	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5495	139	8	16.4	39.6%	37 (26.6%)	2 (1.4%)	94 (67.6%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	42.1	696^th of 1039 public elementary schools	33.0%		42.3	694^th of 1044 public elementary schools	33.5%	2	50.0	42.9	27.8			70.0	52.4	16.7			66.7	47.6	$14,172	$609	$13,564
Badger Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	501 S Bluemound Dr	Appleton	54914	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5440	258	27	9.6	69.4%	110 (42.6%)	28 (10.9%)	51 (19.8%)	25 (9.7%)	5 (1.9%)	13 (5.0%)	26 (10.1%)	20.2	861^st of 1039 public elementary schools	17.1%		36.5	754^th of 1044 public elementary schools	27.8%	107	38.6	31.3	40.0			36.4	21.9	35.0			37.5	21.9	$16,860	$609	$16,252
Edison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	412 N Meade St	Appleton	54911	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5460	242	24	10.0	50.4%	165 (68.2%)	13 (5.4%)	29 (12.0%)	12 (5.0%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.0%)	36.9	747^th of 1039 public elementary schools	28.1%		41.4	708^th of 1044 public elementary schools	32.2%	39	53.7	46.9	46.2			39.0	37.5	32.7			62.5	43.8	$18,706	$609	$18,098
Highlands Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2037 N Elinor St	Appleton	54914	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5480	417	42	10.0	60.4%	171 (41.0%)	21 (5.0%)	67 (16.1%)	120 (28.8%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (8.2%)	20.3	860^th of 1039 public elementary schools	17.2%		15.3	903^rd of 1044 public elementary schools	13.5%	43	31.0	36.8	24.3			39.7	25.0	32.9			48.5	36.8	$21,507	$609	$20,899
Richmond Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 E John St	Appleton	54915	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5520	245	20	12.3	46.9%	147 (60.0%)	10 (4.1%)	44 (18.0%)	14 (5.7%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.6%)	46.8	635^th of 1039 public elementary schools	38.9%		40.6	721^st of 1044 public elementary schools	30.9%	86	71.8	41.7	51.3			59.0	45.8	46.2			60.4	39.6	$16,605	$609	$15,996
McKinley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1125 E Taft Ave	Appleton	54915	Outagamie County	Appleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 852-5510	380	32	11.9	49.5%	189 (49.7%)	17 (4.5%)	80 (21.1%)	70 (18.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (5.8%)	38.4	733^rd of 1039 public elementary schools	29.5%		32.1	794^th of 1044 public elementary schools	23.9%	61	33.3	41.7	46.9			46.8	45.8	42.9			66.7	47.9	$16,692	$609	$16,083

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary

What district is Jefferson Elementary in?

Appleton Area School District

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wilson Middle
High : West High

Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.6% of Wisconsin elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 46% White, 17% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 11% African American, 8% Asian, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 212 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

Rate Jefferson Elementary!

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025

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

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.