Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School

Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School is one of the mid-sized elementary campuss in New Bedford, Massachusetts, operated by New Bedford, with 388 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

New Bedford runs 24 schools in total, collectively educating 12,505 students. Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School records that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 61% of enrollment. Other groups include 24% White, 9% Black, 5% multiracial. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 10%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School has 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.6:1. The state averages about 12.2:1, putting this campus right in line with peers.

In the area at large, Bristol County reports that the typical household earns roughly $85,625 per year, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. In all, Bristol County runs 142 public schools (combined enrollment of about 80,897 students), of which Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is Roosevelt Middle School, roughly 0.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count increased 12%: 345 students in 2018 compared to 388 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 57% to 61% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 14.9:1 in 2018 to 11.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.