Is Thomas Jefferson High School a good school?

Thomas Jefferson High School ranks in the bottom 6.8% of Iowa high schools.

How many students attend Thomas Jefferson High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,575 students attended Thomas Jefferson High School.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Jefferson High School?

Students at Thomas Jefferson High School are 49% White, 28% African American, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Thomas Jefferson High School?

Thomas Jefferson High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Cedar River Academy at Taylor Elementary : Cleveland Elementary School Elementary : Grant Elementary School Elementary : Hoover Elementary School Elementary : Van Buren Elementary School Elementary : West Willow Elementary School Middle : Wilson Middle School

Thomas Jefferson High School

Summary:

Thomas Jefferson High School is a public high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving 1,543 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which is ranked 276 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, Thomas Jefferson High School has a more diverse student population, with 52.69% White, 25.34% African American, and 11.15% Hispanic students. However, the school consistently underperforms on standardized tests, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science significantly lower than state and district averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 56.38% to 62.85% over the past three years, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

Despite the challenges faced by Thomas Jefferson High School, the nearby high schools, such as George Washington High School and John F. Kennedy High School, show varying levels of academic performance and student demographics. Addressing the issues at Thomas Jefferson High School will require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs and circumstances of the school and its community.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1243 20th ST SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

(319) 558-2435

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
315^th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,251

Feeder schools for Thomas Jefferson High School:

Elementary:	Cedar River Academy at Taylor
	Cleveland Elementary School
	Grant Elementary School
	Hoover Elementary School
	More...
	Van Buren Elementary School
	West Willow Elementary School
Middle:	Wilson Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.2

Number of students: 1,575

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.0%

African American:

28.4%

Hispanic:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.7%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Thomas Jefferson High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Jefferson High School ranks worse than 93.2% of high schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.76. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Thomas Jefferson High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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: White (49%), African American (28.4%), Hispanic (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High School is 18.2, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Thomas Jefferson High School employs 86.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Jefferson High School is $15,251. 2 high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Thomas Jefferson High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Jefferson High School 315^th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Thomas Jefferson High School in the ranking list.)

Cedar Rapids Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cedar Rapids Community School District 276^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Thomas Jefferson High School.

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Your rating for Thomas Jefferson High School?

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Rank History for Thomas Jefferson High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	45.86	239^th	351	31.9%
2013	44.74	244^th	351	30.5%
2014	24.86	269^th	322	16.5%
2015	13.57	294^th	324	9.3%
2016	28.57	254^th	320	20.6%
2017	16.09	296^th	325	8.9%
2018	8.07	302^nd	320	5.6%
2019	26.41	269^th	327	17.7%
2021	13.11	301^st	327	8.0%
2022	9.07	312^th	332	6.0%
2023	7.75	317^th	336	5.7%
2024	8.76	315^th	338	6.8%

See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Friday, June 1, 2012

In 1966 the school gained notoriety nationwide for expelling three students four times (Dick Douglas,Tom Hankins and Jimmy Carroll) because their hair touched the collar of their shirts. This made national headlines and principal William Paxton threatened Hankins and Douglas, telling them he would see to it that they would never get their diploma and graduate. Paxton also managed to turn the other students against the boys and they were physically attacked, in and out of school, on a near-daily basis by other students, with Paxton or the school doing nothing but laugh about it. Hankins and Douglas defended themselves and were never physically harmed, but their attackers weren't as lucky. As a coincidence, Hankins became a professional wrestler in 1973 and credits the many physical altercations as his first training, as the school kicked him off the wrestling team over the hair issue.
It seems the boys were playing in a rock band called The Untouchables and when they charted a double-sided hit record "Come On Baby" and "Stick Around", and when Paxton found out they were making more money than he was, he and the Cedar Rapids Public School Board conspired to get them out. The band notified the media and picketed the school with news crews present and brought the subject to light. The school was forced to let the boys back in after the media frenzy. That 45 RPM recording is selling for $1,000 on E Bay. Paxton and his thugs then focused on Hankins and would continually call him "into the office" and attemopt to berate and threaten him over non-school issues. Hankins refused to tolerate their hate and tore into them verbally, after which they left him alone. The boys did graduate, in spite of Paxton and the school board.
Douglas is still playing guitar in Iowa and Hankins, now retired from wrestling, became a record producer (as well as continuing to play bass and record with many artists) and is currently getting ready to go on the road and tour again as he just recently retired from production due to his frustration with his engineers and the decline of the record business. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Good school overall. Quite a bit of fighting/drug issues, but teachers are excellent Close Quote

Enrollment information for Thomas Jefferson High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1766	46	21	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	1854
1989	1718	44	11	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	1795
1990	1680	49	12	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	1765
1991	1597	53	13	17	5	n/a	n/a	0	1685
1992	1557	69	23	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	1680
1993	1518	65	24	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	1623
1994	1460	80	27	22	7	n/a	n/a	0	1596
1995	1544	58	43	18	7	n/a	n/a	0	1670
1996	1544	58	43	18	7	n/a	n/a	0	1670
1997	1538	66	43	30	6	n/a	n/a	0	1683
1998	1517	68	49	22	9	n/a	n/a	0	1665
1999	1470	66	45	20	11	n/a	n/a	0	1612
2000	1433	65	45	17	8	n/a	n/a	0	1568
2001	1488	55	42	12	10	n/a	n/a	0	1607
2002	1468	104	40	32	7	n/a	n/a	0	1651
2003	1468	104	40	32	7	n/a	n/a	0	1651
2004	1438	101	34	35	6	n/a	n/a	0	1614
2005	1347	108	35	26	7	n/a	n/a	0	1523
2006	1367	116	35	27	7	n/a	n/a	0	1552
2007	1426	132	33	28	10	n/a	n/a	0	1629
2008	1425	163	37	30	11	n/a	n/a	0	1666
2009	1381	173	45	38	11	n/a	n/a	0	1648
2010	1354	173	38	33	11	0	1	0	1610
2011	1266	183	30	39	10	0	7	0	1535
2012	1227	185	26	46	5	1	27	0	1517
2013	1144	180	25	61	6	2	46	0	1464
2014	1102	211	25	81	6	4	66	0	1495
2015	1117	227	25	69	7	5	66	0	1516
2016	1064	237	19	83	8	7	72	0	1490
2017	1044	243	16	111	5	11	72	0	1502
2018	1041	288	17	127	3	17	82	0	1575
2019	964	315	17	129	1	18	92	0	1536
2020	928	374	49	138	1	1	97	0	1588
2021	807	361	30	130	2	4	107	0	1441
2022	846	384	24	153	1	6	131	0	1545
2023	813	391	26	172	2	9	129	1	1543
2024	772	448	26	171	2	13	138	5	1575

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 Thomas Jefferson High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1854	99.7	18.5	10.9
1989	1795	99.4	18.0	7.2
1990	1765	98.3	17.9	9.6
1991	1685	98.0	17.1	13.3
1992	1680	94.0	17.8	14.6
1993	1623	90.3	18.0	12.6
1994	1596	82.8	19.3	12.5
1995	1670	86.8	19.2	12.3
1996	1670	86.8	19.2	12.3
1997	1683	89.1	18.9	12.1
1998	1665	91.5	18.2	12.3
1999	1612	76.6	21.0	17.4
2000	1568	87.4	17.9	17.3
2001	1607	90.2	17.8	15.6
2002	1651	92.4	17.9	27.4
2003	1651	92.4	17.9	27.4
2004	1614	91.8	17.6	27.9
2005	1523	85.8	17.8	26.3
2006	1552	91.2	17.0	26.7
2007	1629	94.4	17.3	33.6
2008	1666	98.6	16.9	31.2
2009	1648	100.0	16.5	34.6
2010	1610	99.2	16.2	33
2011	1535	99.3	15.4	37.7
2012	1517	97.5	15.5	38.8
2013	1464	95.5	15.3	45.6
2014	1495	90.7	16.4	48.9
2015	1516	87.0	17.4	49.4
2016	1490	87.0	17.1	48.9
2017	1502	85.0	17.6	49.7
2018	1575	87.1	18.0	53.5
2019	1536	87.5	17.5	49.5
2020	1588	90.4	17.5	56.8
2021	1441	88.0	16.3	60.2
2022	1545	89.6	17.2	62.8
2023	1543	86.0	17.9	56.4
2024	1575	86.4	18.2	59.7

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 Thomas Jefferson High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1854	99.7	18.5	10.9
1989	1795	99.4	18.0	7.2
1990	1765	98.3	17.9	9.6
1991	1685	98.0	17.1	13.3
1992	1680	94.0	17.8	14.6
1993	1623	90.3	18.0	12.6
1994	1596	82.8	19.3	12.5
1995	1670	86.8	19.2	12.3
1996	1670	86.8	19.2	12.3
1997	1683	89.1	18.9	12.1
1998	1665	91.5	18.2	12.3
1999	1612	76.6	21.0	17.4
2000	1568	87.4	17.9	17.3
2001	1607	90.2	17.8	15.6
2002	1651	92.4	17.9	27.4
2003	1651	92.4	17.9	27.4
2004	1614	91.8	17.6	27.9
2005	1523	85.8	17.8	26.3
2006	1552	91.2	17.0	26.7
2007	1629	94.4	17.3	33.6
2008	1666	98.6	16.9	31.2
2009	1648	100.0	16.5	34.6
2010	1610	99.2	16.2	33
2011	1535	99.3	15.4	37.7
2012	1517	97.5	15.5	38.8
2013	1464	95.5	15.3	45.6
2014	1495	90.7	16.4	48.9
2015	1516	87.0	17.4	49.4
2016	1490	87.0	17.1	48.9
2017	1502	85.0	17.6	49.7
2018	1575	87.1	18.0	53.5
2019	1536	87.5	17.5	49.5
2020	1588	90.4	17.5	56.8
2021	1441	88.0	16.3	60.2
2022	1545	89.6	17.2	62.8
2023	1543	86.0	17.9	56.4
2024	1575	86.4	18.2	59.7

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thomas Jefferson High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,064 (7.0%)	$14,187 (93.0%)	$15,251

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Jefferson High School

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 269^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 317^th of 336 High schools	12.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Jefferson High School)	67.4	52.4	15%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	75.5	65.2	10.3%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	74.3	72.9	1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson High School)	53.5	51.5	2%
10th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	62.9	57.1	5.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	67.1	67	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Jefferson High School)	65.3	50.5	14.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	71.5	62	9.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	71.4	68.7	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson High School)	59.8	47	12.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	69.8	56	13.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	66.9	67.3	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1536	1543	0.5%
African American	315	391	24.1%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	17	26	52.9%
Hispanic	129	172	33.3%
Pacific Islander	18	9	50%
White	964	813	15.7%
Two or More Races	92	129	40.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.5%	56.4%	6.8%

Schools Near Thomas Jefferson High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)					ISASP Mathematics (2024)					ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	1243 20th ST SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2435	1,575	86	18.2	59.7%	772 (49.0%)	448 (28.4%)	171 (10.9%)	26 (1.7%)	2 (0.1%)	13 (0.8%)	138 (8.8%)	8.8	315^th of 338 public high schools	6.8%		7.8	317^th of 336 public high schools	5.7%	2			58.1	58.1	42.7			44.3	49.3	39.2		41.8	$15,251	$1,064	$14,187
Metro High School	Public	9-12	1212 7th ST SE	Cedar Rapids	52401	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-3100	343	25	13.5	76.7%	150 (43.7%)	98 (28.6%)	33 (9.6%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.7%)	48 (14.0%)	0.1	337^th of 338 public high schools	0.3%		0	335^th of 336 public high schools	0.3%	2			42.1	13.8	21.6			10.0	17.2	14.6		10.3	$17,640	$336	$17,305
George Washington High School	Public	9-12	2205 Forest DR SE	Cedar Rapids	52403	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2161	1,233	77	16.0	48.7%	681 (55.2%)	279 (22.6%)	108 (8.8%)	19 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.4%)	129 (10.5%)	24.2	283^rd of 338 public high schools	16.3%		23.8	283^rd of 336 public high schools	15.8%				72.2	66.7	56.9			53.4	58.4	50.0		48.6	$16,333	$764	$15,569
John F Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	4545 Wenig RD NE	Cedar Rapids	52402	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2251	1,719	95	18.0	31.4%	1,252 (72.8%)	169 (9.8%)	120 (7.0%)	46 (2.7%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	124 (7.2%)	53.3	176^th of 338 public high schools	47.9%		53.6	170^th of 336 public high schools	49.4%	6			77.8	75.4	71.0			63.3	71.4	70.9		62.5	$14,742	$564	$14,177
Prairie High School	Public	10-12	401 76th Ave SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	College Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 848-5340	1,271	73	17.4	30.4%	916 (72.1%)	134 (10.5%)	97 (7.6%)	21 (1.7%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (0.7%)	86 (6.8%)	22.6	288^th of 338 public high schools	14.8%		35.9	248^th of 336 public high schools	26.2%	40				65.0	63.2				53.2	56.3		46.8	$14,453	$304	$14,149
Marion High School	Public	9-12	675 S 15th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Marion Independent School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 377-9891	720	46	15.7	28.3%	596 (82.8%)	35 (4.9%)	34 (4.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (6.7%)	42	233^rd of 338 public high schools	31.1%		60.7	130^th of 336 public high schools	61.3%	103			67.1	72.8	73.6			59.1	68.2	68.9		52.2	$13,802	$140	$13,663
Linn-Mar High School	Public	9-12	3111 N 10th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3040	2,222	131	16.9	23.9%	1,667 (75.0%)	154 (6.9%)	124 (5.6%)	128 (5.8%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	131 (5.9%)	66.5	109^th of 338 public high schools	67.8%		58.1	152^nd of 336 public high schools	54.8%	43			85.3	76.4	77.7			76.3	69.2	76.7		68.9	$13,871	$299	$13,571
Alburnett Senior High School	Public	9-12	131 Roosevelt Street	Alburnett	52202	Linn County	Alburnett Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 842-2263	278	19	14.8	16.5%	267 (96.0%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	78	41^st of 338 public high schools	87.9%		43.3	221^st of 336 public high schools	34.2%	180			84.4	87.9	84.1			74.0	77.3	79.7		80.3	$15,024	$123	$14,901
Mount Vernon High School	Public	9-12	731 Palisades Rd SW	Mount Vernon	52314	Linn County	Mount Vernon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 895-8843	478	28	17.0	13.8%	435 (91.0%)	7 (1.5%)	9 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.8%)	76.1	52^nd of 338 public high schools	84.6%		86.9	16^th of 336 public high schools	95.2%	36			74.3	84.2	82.1			78.8	88.3	83.7		75.0	$16,419	$191	$16,228
Springville Secondary School	Public	7-12	400 Academy St	Springville	52336	Linn County	Springville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 854-6196	194	17	11.4	24.2%	176 (90.7%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.1%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.6%)	73.3	70^th of 338 public high schools	79.3%		71.6	76^th of 336 public high schools	77.4%	6	80.0	90.3	93.9	93.5	80.6	73.3	67.7	69.7	64.5	77.4	73.3	74.2	$16,663	$277	$16,386

Thomas Jefferson High School

Cedar Rapids Community School District:

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Rank History for Thomas Jefferson High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Thomas Jefferson High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thomas Jefferson High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Thomas Jefferson High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thomas Jefferson High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Jefferson High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Thomas Jefferson High School