Jefferson Elementary

Set in West Allis, Wisconsin, Jefferson Elementary is a mid-tier elementary campus, run under West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. It teaches 393 students across grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 323 students per school, that is 22% larger than typical.

Across the 16 schools in West Allis-West Milwaukee School District (6,619 students total), Jefferson Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Jefferson Elementary lists that the largest single group is Hispanic at 40%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 32% White, 12% multiracial, 10% Black, 5% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 17% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.6:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.7:1 average. Roughly 65% of students at Jefferson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Jefferson Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 38.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.8%.

Across the wider county, census data for Milwaukee County shows the typical household earns roughly $64,435 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. Jefferson Elementary is one of 284 public schools in Milwaukee County (combined enrollment of about 122,496 students).

James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Jefferson Elementary at 4th of 7; the average score across the group is 32.4%.

The school occupies an outer-ring site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Jefferson Elementary has edged down 27%, going from 536 students in 2018 to 393 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 48% to 32%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 14.9:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.