Taft Elementary

As a cozy primary school in Neenah, Wisconsin, Taft Elementary caters to 179 students from grades K through 4, overseen by Neenah Joint School District. That puts it 45% smaller than the typical public school in Wisconsin, which averages around 323 students.

Across the 12 schools in Neenah Joint School District (6,662 students total), Taft Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Taft Elementary logs that 65% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 13% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 6% Black, 3% Asian. By comparison, Winnebago County as a whole is about 87% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.1:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 14.7:1, putting Taft Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 59% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Winnebago County runs at roughly 41%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Taft Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 41.3%; this one delivers 37.3%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Winnebago County indicate median household income runs about $74,925, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Taft Elementary is one of 56 public schools in Winnebago County (combined enrollment of about 22,271 students).

Nearest neighbor: Spring Road Elementary, around 0.9 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Taft Elementary at 7th of 7; the average score across the group is 62.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Taft Elementary's enrollment has fell 24% since 2018, when it stood at 237 (now 179). White enrollment moved from 80% to 65% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Taft Elementary community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.