The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson Elementary serves children from pre-kindergarten through third grade in the Menasha Joint School District, a public school system in the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin. Because it covers only the earliest grades, the school does not have a graduation rate, and the academic measures available are limited to the single grade level (third) that participates in the state’s Forward assessment. For a family looking at the full arc of a child’s K-12 education, Jefferson is the entry point; the district runs a single middle school and one high school that students move into after third grade.
The school draws its students from Menasha, a city on the Fox River and Lake Winnebago with a deep industrial heritage rooted in papermaking and manufacturing. Menasha and the adjoining city of Neenah form a single economic and social unit. The housing market in the area reflects a mix of older residential neighborhoods and industrial corridors. Home values have risen in recent years, and rents have also increased, though they remain below the cost of a monthly mortgage payment, which may affect the mix of families who can buy versus rent in the attendance zone. The city has seen steady population growth over recent decades, with moderate and increasing diversity; about a quarter of Jefferson’s student body is Hispanic, and most of the rest are white, with smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, American Indian, or of two or more races.
The school serves a student population where a substantial share qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of economic need that families may want to keep in mind when considering the resources and supports available at the building. Enrollment is small for an elementary school, with classes across pre-K, kindergarten, first, second, and third grades all roughly similar in size. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates within the Menasha Joint School District. No specific recent district-level changes, such as referendums, boundary shifts, or curriculum updates, were identifiable from publicly available sources, so families would need to contact the district directly for the latest information on budget directions or program changes.
On the Wisconsin Forward assessments, third graders at Jefferson showed proficiency rates that fell below the midpoint when placed against other districts in Winnebago County. In math, less than half of tested students scored at the proficient or above level, and in English language arts the rate was similar. These figures place the school in the bottom quartile among the county’s districts for overall proficiency across the subjects and grades tested. Because the assessment changed its cut scores recently, direct year-over-year comparisons are not reliable. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports early literacy and numeracy and what interventions are in place before students move on to fourth grade.
The school does not serve grades where state testing is required beyond third grade, so no trend data or middle-grade performance is possible. Discipline, attendance, and staffing data were not available. The district brief found no record of special education or English learner counts for this building, so those proportions are not part of this picture. Families who value early-grade stability, a small school environment, and a setting deeply tied to a blue-collar Midwestern city with water access, parks, and a traditional downtown may find Jefferson a natural fit. Those looking for higher early-grade test scores or more detail on academic interventions will want to ask the school directly.
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