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:
315th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,251 Help


Feeder schools for Thomas Jefferson High School:

Elementary:    Cedar River Academy at Taylor
    Cleveland Elementary School
    Grant Elementary School
    Hoover Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Wilson Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.9 Help
Number of students:  1,543

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.7%
African American:
25.3%
Hispanic:
11.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  56.4% Help


 See top rated Iowa high schools

 Compare Thomas Jefferson High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thomas Jefferson High School ranks worse than 93.2% of high schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.76. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (52.7%), African American (25.3%), Hispanic (11.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 56.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High School is 17.9, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Thomas Jefferson High School employs 86 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
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 315th 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 276th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Thomas Jefferson High School?

Rank History for Thomas Jefferson High School

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

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

Thomas Jefferson High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
0%

67%

0%

0%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Friday, June 1, 2012

Open Quote 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

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



Enrollment information for Thomas Jefferson High School

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 269th of 327 High schoolsRanks 317th 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)67.452.4
 15%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)75.565.2
 10.3%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)74.372.9
 1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson High School)53.551.5
 2%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)62.957.1
 5.8%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)67.167
 0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Jefferson High School)65.350.5
 14.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)71.562
 9.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)71.468.7
 2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson High School)59.847
 12.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)69.856
 13.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)66.967.3
 0.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15361543
 0.5%
African American315391
 24.1%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian1726
 52.9%
Hispanic129172
 33.3%
Pacific Islander189
 50%
White964813
 15.7%
Two or More Races92129
 40.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.5%56.4%
 6.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Jefferson High School

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

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,543 students attended Thomas Jefferson High School.

Students at Thomas Jefferson High School are 53% White, 25% African American, 11% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.


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

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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