The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Math. The lowest is 83% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School is a regular public school in the Middlebury Community Schools district, serving kindergarten through third grade. The school is located on a rural route at the edge of Goshen, and it belongs to a district that covers a wider area than the city alone. The school itself is a primary-grades building, so the academic picture is focused entirely on the early elementary years with no graduation rate, no high school course offerings, and no middle school testing to report.
State testing data from the ILEARN assessments for third graders showed strong results. In both math and English language arts, a large majority of tested students met the state’s proficiency standard. The school’s overall proficiency index, which combines the tested subjects, placed it in the top quartile relative to all districts in Elkhart County. Families looking at elementary schools in the area will see that Jefferson is performing at a high level on the state’s early-grade accountability measures.
The enrollment is moderate for a K-through-3 building. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic or Latino population reflecting the wider Goshen-area workforce demographics. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of economic need in public schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so families with children in those categories may want to ask the school directly about specific supports and services.
The school operates under Middlebury Community Schools, a district that has made several recent investments. Voters approved an operating referendum that runs through 2029, generating additional money for teacher pay, classroom resources, and programs. The district also adopted a district-wide STEM curriculum in 2023, which means that even at the primary level, students at Jefferson are part of a broader initiative to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math into learning. A major renovation at Northridge High School was also completed, funded through a bond, though that facility is not part of Jefferson’s campus.
Goshen itself is a mid-sized city with a historic downtown and a strong industrial base in recreational vehicle and automotive parts manufacturing. The city is home to Goshen College, a small Mennonite liberal arts school. The local housing market shows home values that have appreciated recently and are above the state average, though still below the national median. The school’s address sits away from the denser downtown core, so families considering Jefferson should note that the location is on the outskirts, not within walking distance of Goshen’s central amenities.
Because Jefferson Elementary only covers kindergarten through third grade, students will move to a different school for fourth grade and beyond. This is a short academic pathway by design, common in districts that operate separate intermediate or middle schools. The strong early-grade test results provide a solid starting point, but the school’s impact on a child’s full K-12 experience is limited to these foundational years. Families should also be aware that the district brief notes a lasting property tax commitment from the approved referendum through 2029, which affects all property owners within the district boundaries.
Overall, Jefferson Elementary presents as a high-performing primary school within a district that has been actively investing in curriculum and facilities. The student body is economically diverse, and the school’s results on state assessments are notably strong compared to other schools in the county. For families seeking a structured early elementary experience with consistent academic outcomes, particularly one tied to a districtwide STEM focus, Jefferson is a place worth exploring. The key practical questions for any family will be whether the rural-edge location works for their commute and how the school handles the transition for students after third grade.
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