Jefferson Elementary, West Allis WI

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary is a regular public school in West Allis, Wisconsin, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District and sits in a dense inner-ring suburb of Milwaukee with a working-class-to-middle-class residential character, tree-lined streets, and commercial corridors. The city’s identity was shaped by the Allis-Chalmers manufacturing plant, which closed decades ago, and today the area retains a mix of older homes, light industrial uses, and a large entertainment district anchored by the Wisconsin State Fair Park and the Milwaukee Mile. The housing stock is predominantly single-family, with home values and rents that are moderate relative to the Milwaukee metro area.

Academically, the school’s state test results from the most recent assessment year show proficiency rates that are below the midpoint when compared with districts across Milwaukee County. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced ranged from a very small portion in third grade to a modest portion in fifth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: a small share of third graders met the bar, with a somewhat larger share in fourth grade and a bit under half of fifth graders reaching proficiency. In science, roughly a third of fourth graders were proficient, while in social studies, just under half of fourth graders met the standard. These numbers point to an academic environment where a substantial majority of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks in the tested subjects, with fifth grade showing a relative bright spot compared to the earlier grades. The school has no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

The student body is diverse. White and Hispanic students each make up a substantial share of enrollment, with smaller but still meaningful numbers of students who are Black, Asian, or of two or more races. A modest number of students are American Indian or Alaska Native. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a majority of families have low to moderate incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the provided records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and programs.

West Allis is a moderately walkable community in its older core, with sidewalks throughout residential neighborhoods and a complete streets policy adopted in recent years. The Hank Aaron State Trail runs near the city’s northern border, and the city maintains roughly a fair number of miles of bike trails and a sizable park system. The West Allis Farmers Market is a long-standing civic gathering place. Transit connections to Milwaukee are available through multiple bus routes. The city’s population has been relatively stable with a slight recent decline, and the housing market shows a moderate level of activity with typical home prices and rents that are below the state median. No recent major district changes such as referendums or boundary adjustments were identified in publicly available sources.

For a family considering Jefferson Elementary, the picture is one of a school in a stable, older suburban community with a diverse student population and a majority of families facing economic challenges. Academic proficiency rates are low relative to other schools in the county, with the strongest results appearing in fifth grade and in social studies. The school’s setting is a working-class neighborhood with good access to parks and transit, and housing costs are moderate for the region. Families who value strong test scores may want to examine the school’s instructional supports and the trajectory of student growth across the elementary years.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 33% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 32% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 38% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 34% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 36% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 44% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Science

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 34% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 48% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolWest Allis-West Milwaukee 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-income22%Higher-income31%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income20%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income79%50 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income23%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income15%Higher-income20%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income68%43 pp gap