Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 1357 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 381 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 48% Hispanic, 32% White, 13% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Roosevelt International Middle High : San Diego High

Jefferson Elementary

Summary:

Jefferson Elementary is a public elementary school located in San Diego, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 378 students. The school is part of the San Diego Unified School District, which is ranked 604 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Jefferson Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of California elementary schools, with strong academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2023-2024, 59.76% of Jefferson Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 54.22% for San Diego Unified and 47.04% for California. In Mathematics, 54.71% of Jefferson Elementary students were proficient or better, compared to 43.89% for San Diego Unified and 35.54% for California. The school also performs exceptionally well for specific student groups, such as White students and Low Socioeconomic Status students, ranking in the top 10% and top 25% of California elementary schools, respectively. However, the school's performance for Special Education students is relatively lower, ranking in the middle 50% of California elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Central Elementary and Cherokee Point Elementary, Jefferson Elementary outperforms them across all academic measures. However, the nearby Garfield Elementary and McKinley Elementary schools demonstrate comparable or even stronger academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, the nearby San Diego Global Vision Academy, a public charter school, also shows strong academic performance, with results that are on par with or exceed those of Jefferson Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

3770 Utah St.
San Diego, CA 92104-3532

(619) 344-3300

District: San Diego Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1357^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,637

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Roosevelt International Middle
High:	San Diego High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.0

Number of students: 381

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.0%

White:

32.0%

Two or more races:

12.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jefferson Elementary ranks better than 76.9% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 38^th among 117 ranked elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.25. (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 Student population at Jefferson Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48%), White (32%), two or more races (12.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.7% 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 23. 62 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Jefferson Elementary employs 16.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jefferson Elementary is $8,637, which is the 51^st highest among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Jefferson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson Elementary 1357^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Jefferson 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

San Diego Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Diego Unified 604^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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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	29.16	3293^rd	4809	31.5%
2005	27.81	3421^st	4822	29.1%
2006	27.61	3480^th	4818	27.8%
2007	26.83	3796^th	5113	25.8%
2008	41.92	2831^st	5113	44.6%
2009	35.45	3335^th	5193	35.8%
2010	26.06	4146^th	5314	22.0%
2011	53.67	2375^th	5377	55.8%
2012	35.08	3590^th	5390	33.4%
2013	34.70	3696^th	5530	33.2%
2015	46.47	2659^th	5611	52.6%
2016	47.31	2648^th	5614	52.8%
2017	68.48	1643^rd	5692	71.1%
2018	67.67	1698^th	5662	70.0%
2019	67.41	1723^rd	5789	70.2%
2022	81.02	1144^th	5883	80.6%
2023	73.21	1450^th	5874	75.3%
2024	75.25	1357^th	5862	76.9%

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	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	66.31	566^th	3311	82.9%

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	56.49	743^rd	2420	69.3%
2024	47.99	1024^th	2634	61.1%

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	76.12	866^th	5084	83.0%
2019	76.80	858^th	5173	83.4%
2022	86.78	473^rd	5264	91.0%
2023	71.61	1139^th	5374	78.8%
2024	63.59	1595^th	5511	71.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	68.47	1571^st	5413	71.0%
2019	70.11	1492^nd	5492	72.8%
2022	78.09	1195^th	5635	78.8%
2023	76.70	1230^th	5617	78.1%
2024	76.25	1237^th	5605	77.9%

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	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	30.48	1768^th	2585	31.6%
2022	64.75	507^th	2227	77.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.61	1828^th	5431	66.3%
2019	61.43	1891^st	5510	65.7%
2022	81.40	1045^th	5663	81.5%
2023	66.79	1651^st	5650	70.8%
2024	70.76	1463^rd	5636	74.0%

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	76.16	836^th	4830	82.7%
2019	74.63	932^nd	4963	81.2%
2022	79.41	761^st	5084	85.0%
2023	69.65	1196^th	5098	76.5%
2024	66.55	1332^nd	5102	73.9%

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
2022	88.59	157^th	2726	94.2%
2023	82.26	337^th	2662	87.3%
2024	84.86	247^th	2647	90.7%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Thursday, July 26, 2012

parents trying to improve the school:

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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	215	74	114	146	4	n/a	n/a	0	553
1989	198	87	111	168	4	n/a	n/a	0	568
1990	199	93	101	188	3	n/a	n/a	0	584
1991	191	132	80	230	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
1992	172	151	75	256	3	n/a	n/a	0	657
1993	153	192	62	251	3	n/a	n/a	0	661
1994	131	202	63	305	6	n/a	n/a	0	707
1995	91	123	47	243	3	n/a	n/a	0	507
1996	91	123	47	243	3	n/a	n/a	0	507
1997	93	149	27	278	2	n/a	n/a	0	549
1998	64	135	31	221	3	n/a	n/a	0	454
1999	58	112	26	217	2	n/a	n/a	0	415
2000	55	103	18	193	1	n/a	n/a	0	370
2001	50	106	13	224	0	n/a	n/a	0	393
2002	49	71	30	236	1	n/a	n/a	0	387
2003	49	71	30	236	1	n/a	n/a	0	387
2004	36	73	36	226	0	n/a	n/a	0	371
2005	39	67	31	220	3	n/a	n/a	0	360
2006	42	64	24	219	1	n/a	n/a	0	350
2007	29	56	16	223	0	n/a	n/a	8	332
2008	38	52	24	212	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	326
2009	40	48	17	203	0	2	0	0	310
2010	29	55	19	246	0	4	12	0	365
2011	25	52	20	239	0	1	14	0	351
2012	19	48	16	233	0	1	12	0	329
2013	20	41	11	241	0	5	13	0	331
2014	24	44	13	251	0	3	18	0	353
2015	27	39	12	264	0	1	22	0	365
2016	34	44	13	254	0	1	22	0	368
2017	44	46	10	233	0	1	33	0	367
2018	55	37	11	265	0	0	43	0	411
2019	70	31	13	259	0	0	49	0	422
2020	93	32	13	246	0	0	44	0	428
2021	94	26	11	217	1	0	41	0	390
2022	104	21	9	197	0	0	43	0	374
2023	111	15	12	196	1	0	43	0	378
2024	122	12	15	183	1	0	48	0	381

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	553	20.1	27.5	n/a
1989	568	20.1	28.2	n/a
1990	584	22.1	26.4	n/a
1991	636	22.1	28.7	n/a
1992	657	22.5	29.2	72.5
1993	661	24.1	27.4	75.5
1994	707	25.0	28.3	85
1995	507	21.0	24.1	92.9
1996	507	21.0	24.1	92.9
1997	549	27.0	20.3	91.1
1998	454	23.0	19.7	90.3
1999	415	26.0	16.0	93
2000	370	23.0	16.1	89.2
2001	393	23.5	16.7	84
2002	387	22.0	17.6	93.5
2003	387	22.0	17.6	93.5
2004	371	21.0	17.7	80.1
2005	360	22.0	16.4	85.3
2006	350	21.0	16.7	84.9
2007	332	19.0	17.5	90.1
2008	326	24.8	13.1	87.1
2009	310	18.8	15.2	87.7
2010	365	21.0	17.3	87.1
2011	351	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	329	19.2	17.1	99.1
2013	331	19.0	17.4	99.1
2014	353	15.0	23.5	79.6
2015	365	15.0	24.3	83.6
2016	368	15.0	24.5	81.3
2017	367	14.8	24.7	71.1
2018	411	16.0	25.6	69.6
2019	422	17.0	24.8	67.5
2020	428	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	390	18.0	21.6	61.8
2022	374	18.0	20.7	55.6
2023	378	16.5	22.9	56.6
2024	381	16.5	23.0	51.7

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	553	20.1	27.5	n/a
1989	568	20.1	28.2	n/a
1990	584	22.1	26.4	n/a
1991	636	22.1	28.7	n/a
1992	657	22.5	29.2	72.5
1993	661	24.1	27.4	75.5
1994	707	25.0	28.3	85
1995	507	21.0	24.1	92.9
1996	507	21.0	24.1	92.9
1997	549	27.0	20.3	91.1
1998	454	23.0	19.7	90.3
1999	415	26.0	16.0	93
2000	370	23.0	16.1	89.2
2001	393	23.5	16.7	84
2002	387	22.0	17.6	93.5
2003	387	22.0	17.6	93.5
2004	371	21.0	17.7	80.1
2005	360	22.0	16.4	85.3
2006	350	21.0	16.7	84.9
2007	332	19.0	17.5	90.1
2008	326	24.8	13.1	87.1
2009	310	18.8	15.2	87.7
2010	365	21.0	17.3	87.1
2011	351	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	329	19.2	17.1	99.1
2013	331	19.0	17.4	99.1
2014	353	15.0	23.5	79.6
2015	365	15.0	24.3	83.6
2016	368	15.0	24.5	81.3
2017	367	14.8	24.7	71.1
2018	411	16.0	25.6	69.6
2019	422	17.0	24.8	67.5
2020	428	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	390	18.0	21.6	61.8
2022	374	18.0	20.7	55.6
2023	378	16.5	22.9	56.6
2024	381	16.5	23.0	51.7

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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