Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 4051 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 916 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 87% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% White, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sierra Middle High : Ramona High High : Riverside STEM Academy

Jefferson Elementary

Summary:

Jefferson Elementary is a public elementary school in Riverside, California, serving 920 students in grades K-6. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, low academic performance, and a high percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

Jefferson Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Riverside Unified School District and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. In 2023-2024, only 32.87% of Jefferson Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 45.48% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate at Jefferson Elementary was 23.63%, while the district and state had rates of 31.57% and 35.54%, respectively. The school's chronic absenteeism rates have also risen significantly, from 9.0% in 2018-2019 to 30.4% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the district and state averages.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Jackson Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, and Pachappa Elementary, generally perform better than Jefferson Elementary in academic assessments and have lower chronic absenteeism rates. For example, Magnolia Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts/Literacy (53.49%) and Mathematics (42.21%) compared to Jefferson Elementary. Additionally, Jefferson Elementary's performance for specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and Special Education students, is generally lower than the state averages for those subgroups.

Detail:

Public K-6

4285 Jefferson St.
Riverside, CA 92504-2423

(951) 352-8218

District: Riverside Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4051^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,100

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sierra Middle
High:	Ramona High
	Riverside STEM Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 24.6

Number of students: 916

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.6%

African American:

4.5%

White:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jefferson Elementary ranks worse than 69.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 23^rd among 29 ranked elementary schools in the Riverside Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.63. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (86.6%), African American (4.5%), White (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary is 24.6. 19 elementary schools in the Riverside Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Jefferson Elementary employs 37.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jefferson Elementary is $7,100. 24 elementary schools in the Riverside Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Jefferson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson Elementary 4051^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Jefferson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Riverside Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverside Unified 774^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Jefferson Elementary.

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Rank History for Jefferson Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	30.81	3194^th	4809	33.6%
2005	37.81	2843^rd	4822	41.0%
2006	32.53	3138^th	4818	34.9%
2007	30.05	3572^nd	5113	30.1%
2008	30.44	3549^th	5113	30.6%
2009	37.19	3227^th	5193	37.9%
2010	37.83	3308^th	5314	37.7%
2011	40.75	3190^th	5377	40.7%
2012	39.00	3328^th	5390	38.3%
2013	40.30	3299^th	5530	40.3%
2015	45.35	2717^th	5611	51.6%
2016	39.96	3077^th	5614	45.2%
2017	41.55	3005^th	5692	47.2%
2018	44.50	2857^th	5662	49.5%
2019	30.15	3919^th	5789	32.3%
2022	27.66	4082^nd	5883	30.6%
2023	28.21	4051^st	5874	31.0%
2024	28.63	4051^st	5862	30.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.89	2136^th	3246	34.2%
2019	32.03	2335^th	3275	28.7%
2022	33.53	2319^th	3311	30.0%
2023	52.82	1061^st	3250	67.4%
2024	38.11	1952^nd	3160	38.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.74	1127^th	2420	53.4%
2024	30.46	1796^th	2634	31.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.02	2035^th	5084	60.0%
2019	41.16	3034^th	5173	41.3%
2022	35.57	3372^nd	5264	35.9%
2023	36.35	3367^th	5374	37.3%
2024	34.56	3563^rd	5511	35.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	21.29	328^th	364	9.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.97	2659^th	5413	50.9%
2019	29.17	3890^th	5492	29.2%
2022	24.34	4279^th	5635	24.1%
2023	26.11	4129^th	5617	26.5%
2024	29.22	3855^th	5605	31.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.00	982^nd	2128	53.9%
2019	48.38	1027^th	2585	60.3%
2022	42.32	1006^th	2227	54.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.61	99^th	140	29.3%
2024	12.45	110^th	118	6.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.13	2912^th	5431	46.4%
2019	31.84	3632^nd	5510	34.1%
2022	31.89	3634^th	5663	35.8%
2023	31.29	3662^nd	5650	35.2%
2024	29.15	3897^th	5636	30.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	57.61	1754^th	4830	63.7%
2019	40.22	2949^th	4963	40.6%
2022	35.89	3229^th	5084	36.5%
2023	37.25	3127^th	5098	38.7%
2024	36.63	3208^th	5102	37.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.86	1764^th	2737	35.5%
2019	26.29	2245^th	2834	20.8%
2023	32.74	1917^th	2662	28.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 4, 2010

The principal is lacking and more interested in passing the STAR test then actually educating. She prioritizes Spanish Speaking students prior to the children as a whole. She doesn't stand for what she advocates. She portrays herself as a healthy impact on this school. In reality she placates the teachers, the parents and the children telling each and all what they want to hear. She does not follow through with her own rules and regulations. She is lucky to still have her position. I wish the district would look more closely at what she does. The school might have a large hispanic population but there is a large amount of people there that do not speak spanish. It is insulting and politically incorrect for everything to be in spanish with the shortened courtesy version in english. This goes for both her, her employees, her teachers, and her students. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Jefferson Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	542	69	28	251	0	n/a	n/a	0	890
1989	593	82	32	309	0	n/a	n/a	0	1016
1990	550	96	39	338	1	n/a	n/a	0	1024
1991	564	100	38	379	2	n/a	n/a	0	1083
1992	485	90	39	407	5	n/a	n/a	0	1026
1993	519	83	44	418	3	n/a	n/a	0	1067
1994	507	90	48	459	7	n/a	n/a	0	1111
1995	414	88	35	495	7	n/a	n/a	0	1039
1996	414	88	35	495	7	n/a	n/a	0	1039
1997	386	86	35	477	6	n/a	n/a	0	990
1998	381	104	35	511	5	n/a	n/a	0	1036
1999	396	111	37	512	7	n/a	n/a	0	1063
2000	348	115	38	514	6	n/a	n/a	0	1021
2001	321	83	30	531	6	n/a	n/a	0	971
2002	280	71	29	659	6	n/a	n/a	0	1045
2003	280	71	29	659	6	n/a	n/a	0	1045
2004	263	64	36	669	5	n/a	n/a	0	1037
2005	245	60	33	654	8	n/a	n/a	0	1000
2006	238	58	28	689	10	n/a	n/a	0	1023
2007	221	38	31	718	6	n/a	n/a	1	1015
2008	197	56	34	722	7	n/a	n/a	0	1016
2009	180	46	27	656	7	5	15	0	936
2010	162	60	14	657	8	4	27	0	932
2011	142	65	17	662	9	6	29	0	930
2012	134	43	18	661	5	4	27	0	892
2013	120	38	12	723	3	4	23	0	923
2014	113	37	12	737	3	2	26	0	930
2015	107	40	11	729	3	2	18	0	910
2016	104	46	13	826	3	3	17	0	1012
2017	93	52	11	835	1	4	19	0	1015
2018	87	43	13	835	3	3	18	0	1002
2019	84	51	10	825	3	4	16	0	993
2020	63	44	13	830	1	4	19	0	974
2021	60	41	9	820	2	3	18	0	953
2022	42	39	5	782	2	2	29	0	901
2023	43	42	5	800	0	1	29	0	920
2024	40	41	7	793	0	2	33	0	916

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 Jefferson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	890	36.0	24.7	n/a
1989	1016	39.7	25.5	n/a
1990	1024	39.0	26.2	n/a
1991	1083	41.0	26.4	n/a
1992	1026	41.7	24.6	45.8
1993	1067	40.0	26.7	55.6
1994	1111	45.0	24.7	62.8
1995	1039	45.9	22.6	65.2
1996	1039	45.9	22.6	65.2
1997	990	50.0	19.8	62.5
1998	1036	51.0	20.3	68.3
1999	1063	62.5	17.0	66.8
2000	1021	57.5	17.8	65.9
2001	971	52.5	18.5	72.5
2002	1045	52.0	20.1	77.3
2003	1045	52.0	20.1	77.3
2004	1037	49.0	21.2	82.1
2005	1000	51.0	19.6	78.6
2006	1023	52.0	19.7	75.2
2007	1015	46.0	22.1	80.2
2008	1016	50.0	20.3	69.4
2009	936	43.0	19.5	81
2010	932	44.0	21.1	84.2
2011	930	n/a	n/a	74.1
2012	892	33.4	26.7	n/a
2013	923	32.7	28.2	87
2014	930	33.2	28.0	85.8
2015	910	35.0	26.0	83.7
2016	1012	38.0	26.6	84.2
2017	1015	41.0	24.7	81.6
2018	1002	40.2	24.9	85.4
2019	993	39.0	25.4	83.9
2020	974	n/a	n/a	84.3
2021	953	38.7	24.6	84.4
2022	901	38.0	23.7	79
2023	920	39.0	23.5	86.7
2024	916	37.1	24.6	63.9

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 Jefferson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	890	36.0	24.7	n/a
1989	1016	39.7	25.5	n/a
1990	1024	39.0	26.2	n/a
1991	1083	41.0	26.4	n/a
1992	1026	41.7	24.6	45.8
1993	1067	40.0	26.7	55.6
1994	1111	45.0	24.7	62.8
1995	1039	45.9	22.6	65.2
1996	1039	45.9	22.6	65.2
1997	990	50.0	19.8	62.5
1998	1036	51.0	20.3	68.3
1999	1063	62.5	17.0	66.8
2000	1021	57.5	17.8	65.9
2001	971	52.5	18.5	72.5
2002	1045	52.0	20.1	77.3
2003	1045	52.0	20.1	77.3
2004	1037	49.0	21.2	82.1
2005	1000	51.0	19.6	78.6
2006	1023	52.0	19.7	75.2
2007	1015	46.0	22.1	80.2
2008	1016	50.0	20.3	69.4
2009	936	43.0	19.5	81
2010	932	44.0	21.1	84.2
2011	930	n/a	n/a	74.1
2012	892	33.4	26.7	n/a
2013	923	32.7	28.2	87
2014	930	33.2	28.0	85.8
2015	910	35.0	26.0	83.7
2016	1012	38.0	26.6	84.2
2017	1015	41.0	24.7	81.6
2018	1002	40.2	24.9	85.4
2019	993	39.0	25.4	83.9
2020	974	n/a	n/a	84.3
2021	953	38.7	24.6	84.4
2022	901	38.0	23.7	79
2023	920	39.0	23.5	86.7
2024	916	37.1	24.6	63.9

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.

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