Spence Elementary

Spence Elementary, a mid-tier primary school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, operated by La Crosse School District, hosts 329 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 19 schools in La Crosse School District (5,717 students total), Spence Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Spence Elementary shows that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment; the rest breaks down as 16% Asian, 12% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 4% Black. By comparison, La Crosse County as a whole is about 88% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Spence Elementary has 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.6:1. The state averages around 14.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 55% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, La Crosse County runs at roughly 35%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Spence Elementary sits in the top 10% of Wisconsin schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 44.1%; actual is 62.7%, +18.7 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for La Crosse County put the typical household earns roughly $73,013 per year, about 37% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Spence Elementary is one of 38 public schools in La Crosse County (combined enrollment of about 14,903 students).

Nearest neighbor: Central High, around 0.4 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Spence Elementary at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 46.7%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Over the past 7-year window. Spence Elementary's enrollment has declined 16% since 2018, when it stood at 392 (now 329). Over the same period, the White share decreased from 71% to 61%.

On allk12, members of the Spence Elementary community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.