Pence Elementary

As a mid-tier K-5 school in Fairfield, Iowa, Pence Elementary teaches 317 students from grades 2 through 4, part of Fairfield Comm School District.

Pence Elementary is one of 4 schools operated by Fairfield Comm School District, a district that caters to 1,408 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Pence Elementary records that White students make up the majority at 79%. Beyond that, the school records 8% multiracial, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.9:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Pence Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 56% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Jefferson County (around 45%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Pence Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 63.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 62.8%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Jefferson County) reports that median household earnings sit near $61,620, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Jefferson County runs 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,974 students), of which Pence Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Fairfield Middle School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Pence Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Pence Elementary at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 69.5%.

Pence Elementary operates from a town-center location.

Looking at the recent track record. Pence Elementary's enrollment has shrank 9% since 2018, when it stood at 347 (now 317). Over the same period, the White share edged down from 86% to 79%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 13.5:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.