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Southern Bluffs Elementary

Summary:

Southern Bluffs Elementary is a public elementary school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, serving 317 students in grades PK-5 and part of the La Crosse School District. This school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency, particularly in mathematics and social studies, and has a relatively strong performance among female and special education students.

Compared to nearby schools, Southern Bluffs Elementary generally outperforms other public elementary schools in the district, but struggles with low socioeconomic status (SES) students, an area where schools like Northside Elementary and Hintgen Elementary have higher percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. The school has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating a stable level of performance, in contrast to some nearby schools with lower 1-star ratings.

While Southern Bluffs Elementary is a relatively strong-performing school, it faces the challenge of increasing chronic absenteeism, particularly among male students and low SES students. Developing targeted strategies to support the academic achievement of low SES students could help improve the school's overall performance and address the disparities observed in this student group.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4010 Sunnyside Dr
       La Crosse, WI  54601-2251

(608) 789-7020

District: La Crosse School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
476th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,454 Help


Students who attend Southern Bluffs Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Longfellow Middle
High:    Central High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.1 Help
Number of students:  317

Racial breakdown:

White:
89.3%
Two or more races:
5.7%
Asian:
2.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  31.9% Help


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 Compare Southern Bluffs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Southern Bluffs Elementary ranks better than 55.1% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks 3rd among 11 ranked elementary schools in the La Crosse School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.73. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.3%), two or more races (5.7%), Asian (2.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 31.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southern Bluffs Elementary is 13.1. 8 elementary schools in the La Crosse School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Southern Bluffs Elementary employs 24 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southern Bluffs Elementary is $15,454. 6 elementary schools in the La Crosse School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southern Bluffs Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Southern Bluffs Elementary 476th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Southern Bluffs Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:


La Crosse School District:

SchoolDigger ranks La Crosse School District 303rd of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Southern Bluffs Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 44.84 494th 712 30.6%
2007 40.17 520th 689 24.5%
2008 32.75 828th 1021 18.9%
2009 34.82 815th 1030 20.9%
2010 53.60 612th 1045 41.4%
2011 58.23 515th 1046 50.8%
2012 32.69 858th 1045 17.9%
2013 46.45 672nd 1053 36.2%
2014 51.40 593rd 1061 44.1%
2015 61.55 444th 1076 58.7%
2016 52.33 555th 1075 48.4%
2017 54.95 508th 1071 52.6%
2018 64.80 351st 1025 65.8%
2019 64.63 363rd 1037 65.0%
2021 57.51 479th 1050 54.4%
2022 58.32 478th 1067 55.2%
2023 57.39 490th 1067 54.1%
2024 60.73 476th 1061 55.1%
See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 47.82 361st 746 51.6%
2023 58.58 260th 770 66.2%
2024 55.60 298th 790 62.3%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.00 458th 854 46.4%
2019 38.27 591st 874 32.4%
2021 45.00 486th 847 42.6%
2022 41.73 530th 859 38.3%
2023 19.84 779th 871 10.6%
2024 28.56 685th 866 20.9%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.02 511th 997 48.7%
2019 44.61 625th 1002 37.6%
2021 61.67 392nd 1004 61.0%
2022 66.86 317th 1017 68.8%
2023 62.54 381st 1010 62.3%
2024 59.58 459th 1011 54.6%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.32 196th 997 80.3%
2019 80.43 127th 1002 87.3%
2021 51.91 541st 1003 46.1%
2022 47.75 603rd 1017 40.7%
2023 52.96 535th 1011 47.1%
2024 60.44 443rd 1012 56.2%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Southern Bluffs Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 49.59 375th 718 47.8%
2021 44.71 407th 699 41.8%
2022 50.00 377th 704 46.4%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Southern Bluffs Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Southern Bluffs Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 415 5 57 0 3 n/a n/a 0 480
1994 421 9 65 0 3 n/a n/a 0 498
1995 379 8 54 0 6 n/a n/a 0 447
1996 379 8 54 0 6 n/a n/a 0 447
1997 379 3 35 0 2 n/a n/a 0 419
1998 405 3 29 1 1 n/a n/a 0 439
1999 384 10 35 3 1 n/a n/a 0 433
2000 380 10 34 2 3 n/a n/a 0 429
2001 386 11 27 2 1 n/a n/a 0 427
2002 372 8 12 2 2 n/a n/a 0 396
2003 372 8 12 2 2 n/a n/a 0 396
2004 361 5 13 2 4 n/a n/a 0 385
2005 349 6 9 5 5 n/a n/a 0 374
2006 350 14 11 5 4 n/a n/a 0 384
2007 373 10 18 2 3 n/a n/a 0 406
2008 362 7 18 6 5 n/a n/a 0 398
2009 335 8 19 4 7 n/a n/a 0 373
2010 348 10 18 5 2 n/a n/a 0 383
2011 333 3 16 8 2 0 15 0 377
2012 326 2 19 8 2 0 17 0 374
2013 327 4 17 11 0 0 18 0 377
2014 335 5 11 14 0 0 24 0 389
2015 291 2 10 10 2 0 21 0 336
2016 281 4 13 12 1 0 17 0 328
2017 274 5 12 12 0 1 13 0 317
2018 287 6 11 20 0 1 13 0 338
2019 280 2 14 18 0 0 18 0 332
2020 283 2 15 11 0 0 20 0 331
2021 267 5 12 12 1 0 20 0 317
2022 256 4 8 9 0 0 18 0 295
2023 283 3 7 6 0 0 18 0 317

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southern Bluffs Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 480 30.0 16.0 29.2
1994 498 29.8 16.7 30.5
1995 447 29.4 15.2 30.9
1996 447 29.4 15.2 30.9
1997 419 29.4 14.3 31.3
1998 439 30.4 14.4 28.9
1999 433 30.6 14.2 37.4
2000 429 28.5 15.1 36.4
2001 427 30.0 14.2 35.4
2002 396 31.2 12.7 26
2003 396 31.2 12.7 26
2004 385 32.1 12.0 28.6
2005 374 31.0 12.1 n/a
2006 384 33.4 11.5 n/a
2007 406 32.3 12.6 23.4
2008 398 31.9 12.5 31.4
2009 373 31.9 11.7 31.1
2010 383 30.9 12.3 35.2
2011 377 30.3 12.4 34.5
2012 374 30.8 12.1 32.4
2013 377 31.1 12.1 34.7
2014 389 30.6 12.6 34.4
2015 336 n/a n/a 32.1
2016 328 29.0 11.3 29.3
2017 317 27.6 11.4 29.7
2018 338 26.5 12.7 30.2
2019 332 25.9 12.7 34.9
2020 331 25.4 13.0 36.3
2021 317 26.7 11.8 37.2
2022 295 26.3 11.1 34.2
2023 317 24.0 13.1 31.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Southern Bluffs Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 480 30.0 16.0 29.2
1994 498 29.8 16.7 30.5
1995 447 29.4 15.2 30.9
1996 447 29.4 15.2 30.9
1997 419 29.4 14.3 31.3
1998 439 30.4 14.4 28.9
1999 433 30.6 14.2 37.4
2000 429 28.5 15.1 36.4
2001 427 30.0 14.2 35.4
2002 396 31.2 12.7 26
2003 396 31.2 12.7 26
2004 385 32.1 12.0 28.6
2005 374 31.0 12.1 n/a
2006 384 33.4 11.5 n/a
2007 406 32.3 12.6 23.4
2008 398 31.9 12.5 31.4
2009 373 31.9 11.7 31.1
2010 383 30.9 12.3 35.2
2011 377 30.3 12.4 34.5
2012 374 30.8 12.1 32.4
2013 377 31.1 12.1 34.7
2014 389 30.6 12.6 34.4
2015 336 n/a n/a 32.1
2016 328 29.0 11.3 29.3
2017 317 27.6 11.4 29.7
2018 338 26.5 12.7 30.2
2019 332 25.9 12.7 34.9
2020 331 25.4 13.0 36.3
2021 317 26.7 11.8 37.2
2022 295 26.3 11.1 34.2
2023 317 24.0 13.1 31.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southern Bluffs Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $251 (1.8%) $13,695 (98.2%) $13,945
2020 $308 (2.2%) $13,564 (97.8%) $13,871
2021 $446 (2.9%) $15,008 (97.1%) $15,454

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Bluffs Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 363rd of 1037 Elementary schoolsRanks 490th of 1067 Elementary schools
 10.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southern Bluffs Elementary)3438.5
 4.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (La Crosse School District)37.130.3
 6.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)39.537.9
 1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southern Bluffs Elementary)5251.3
 0.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (La Crosse School District)49.736.5
 13.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)50.548.8
 1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southern Bluffs Elementary)48.845.2
 3.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (La Crosse School District)44.741.4
 3.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)43.945.8
 1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southern Bluffs Elementary)46.538.1
 8.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (La Crosse School District)38.438.9
 0.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)46.246.5
 0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Southern Bluffs Elementary)72.159.5
 12.6%
   4th Grade Social Studies (La Crosse School District)5661.3
 5.3%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)53.459.7
 6.4%
4th Grade Science (Southern Bluffs Elementary)67.450
 17.4%
   4th Grade Science (La Crosse School District)55.148.7
 6.4%
   4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)53.952.1
 1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southern Bluffs Elementary)4852.6
 4.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (La Crosse School District)34.536.5
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)40.939.2
 1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southern Bluffs Elementary)7465.8
 8.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (La Crosse School District)38.342.1
 3.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)47.848.4
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students332317
 4.5%
African American23
 50%
American Indian00
Asian147
 50%
Hispanic186
 66.7%
Pacific Islander00
White280283
 1.1%
Two or More Races1818
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients34.9%31.9%
 3.1%

Schools Near Southern Bluffs Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Bluffs Elementary

Students who attend Southern Bluffs Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Longfellow Middle
High : Central High

Southern Bluffs Elementary ranks 476th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 317 students attended Southern Bluffs Elementary.

Students at Southern Bluffs Elementary are 89% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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