G D Jones Elementary, Wausau WI - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on G D Jones Elementary

G D Jones Elementary is a regular public school in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Wausau School District, a district that has undergone a notable elementary school consolidation in recent years, with the number of K-5 buildings shrinking from thirteen or fourteen to nine. That shift means attendance boundaries and feeder patterns have been redrawn, something families moving into the area will want to confirm with the district directly.

The school’s enrollment is substantial for an elementary, with a particularly large pre-kindergarten program. The grade-by-grade counts in kindergarten through fifth are fairly even, which suggests the pre-K wing pulls many younger children. The student body is diverse: roughly half the children are White, about a third are Asian, and the remainder are Black, Hispanic, Native American, or multiracial. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of household income that places the school in a moderate-to-high poverty range. Information on the share of students with disabilities or English-learner status was not available from the data provided.

Academically, G D Jones Elementary shows a mixed picture on the Wisconsin Forward state assessments. In third grade, about two in five students scored proficient or above in math, and roughly half did so in English language arts. By fourth grade, those rates dropped, with roughly three in ten proficient in math and about a quarter in ELA. Science proficiency in fourth grade was also around a third, while social studies was stronger, with about half of fourth graders reaching proficiency. Fifth grade saw continued softness: about a quarter of students were proficient in both math and ELA. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quarter among the nine school districts in Marathon County. This is a pattern a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially to understand how the school supports students as they move into the upper elementary grades. Participation rates on all assessments were reported at full, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

Wausau is the county seat of Marathon County and a regional hub for commerce, healthcare, and manufacturing. The local economy is anchored by paper production, insurance, home manufacturing, and tourism, and the city has a significant Hmong American community. Downtown has seen reinvestment, with the 400 Block acting as a gathering space for festivals and the Grand Theater for performances. Home values in the zip code have risen at a pace noticeably faster than the national average over the past year, and rents have also climbed. The area offers outdoor recreation including Rib Mountain State Park, Granite Peak ski area, and a whitewater park on the Wisconsin River. The housing market in Wausau remains more affordable than the state and national benchmarks, making it a relatively accessible market for buyers and renters.

The district’s recent consolidation of elementary schools is a change that likely reshaped which children attend G D Jones. A proposal to close several buildings and shift grade configurations was put forward in 2020, and the current district website now lists fewer elementary schools, suggesting the plan was at least partially carried out. Families should verify current attendance boundaries and any plans for future changes, as consolidation can affect class sizes, program availability, and the sense of community within a school.

For a family considering this school, the key considerations are its diversity, its above-average share of students in poverty, and its academic results, which are lower relative to other Marathon County districts, especially in upper elementary math and reading. The pre-K program is a distinctive asset for families with younger children. The broader Wausau community offers a mix of urban amenities and outdoor recreation, with a cost of living that is moderate for Wisconsin. The district’s recent restructuring adds a layer of uncertainty about school assignments, so direct inquiry with the district is advisable before making enrollment decisions.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 1 student · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

528 schools plotted. 25 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 50% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 51% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 51% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 51% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 51% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 50% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 64% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

This schoolWausau School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income82%44 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income41%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income43%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income82%51 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income47%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income29%8 pp gap