Jefferson Elementary School

Q: Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?

Jefferson Elementary School ranks 341 st of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Jefferson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 338 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 school districts in the state.

Jefferson Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency, with 77.6% of 5th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 50% for the district and 69% for the state. In Mathematics, 75.5% of 3rd-grade students at Jefferson Elementary were proficient or better, compared to 55.5% for the district and 76.3% for the state. The school also has a relatively diverse student population, with 65.09% White, 8.58% African American, 15.09% Hispanic, 2.96% Asian, and 7.4% two or more races.

Despite its strong academic performance, Jefferson Elementary's statewide ranking has declined from 103 out of 603 Iowa elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 341 out of 557 in 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools like Lovejoy Elementary, Walnut Street School, and McKinley Elementary, Jefferson Elementary has significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, the school serves a higher proportion of students from low-income families, with 49.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Detail:

Public K-5

2425 Watrous Ave
Des Moines, IA 50321

(515) 242-8416

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
341^st of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,945

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Brody Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 338

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.1%

Hispanic:

15.1%

African American:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Jefferson Elementary School ranks worse than 61.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 4^th among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.98. (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 Jefferson Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jefferson Elementary School is $13,945, which is the lowest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Jefferson Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	79.37	61^st	626	90.3%
2013	72.59	123^rd	624	80.3%
2014	75.25	103^rd	603	82.9%
2015	66.58	227^th	616	63.1%
2016	59.44	286^th	599	52.3%
2017	62.13	251^st	574	56.3%
2018	64.60	219^th	567	61.4%
2019	51.99	322^nd	603	46.6%
2021	54.95	286^th	567	49.6%
2022	49.81	332^nd	574	42.2%
2023	55.00	283^rd	565	49.9%
2024	48.98	341^st	557	38.8%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary 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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, February 21, 2019

Im very proud of this school. All staffs are awesome 👏 Close Quote

Enrollment information for Jefferson Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	320	37	16	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	383
1989	349	29	20	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	408
1990	378	30	16	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	430
1991	398	22	13	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	437
1992	427	17	13	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	463
1993	436	13	16	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	471
1994	430	15	14	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	464
1995	433	14	9	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	463
1996	433	14	9	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	463
1997	427	13	15	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	465
1998	420	11	12	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	451
1999	411	15	15	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	447
2000	441	14	12	4	2	n/a	n/a	-33	440
2001	399	9	14	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	431
2002	403	8	10	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	434
2003	403	8	10	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	434
2004	402	8	9	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	432
2005	398	4	6	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	423
2006	389	7	10	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	424
2007	405	5	7	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	432
2008	387	10	8	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2009	386	14	12	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
2010	375	9	12	30	0	1	5	0	432
2011	363	13	13	27	0	1	9	0	426
2012	364	12	11	31	0	0	15	0	433
2013	357	10	9	36	2	0	18	0	432
2014	347	8	14	37	2	0	22	0	430
2015	345	8	11	37	0	0	24	0	425
2016	344	15	14	34	0	0	32	0	439
2017	307	21	15	38	1	0	26	0	408
2018	283	24	16	43	1	1	24	0	392
2019	276	24	17	45	1	1	29	0	393
2020	272	22	17	49	0	0	29	0	389
2021	243	30	15	49	0	0	34	0	371
2022	228	23	12	44	0	1	30	0	338
2023	220	29	10	51	0	3	25	0	338

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 School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	383	15.9	24.0	8.6
1989	408	14.5	28.1	7.8
1990	430	18.9	22.7	8.4
1991	437	20.3	21.5	3.4
1992	463	22.0	21.0	3.9
1993	471	23.8	19.8	4.2
1994	464	27.8	16.7	5
1995	463	21.1	21.9	3.5
1996	463	21.1	21.9	3.5
1997	465	21.1	22.0	3
1998	451	21.1	21.4	3.8
1999	447	19.8	22.6	6.7
2000	440	22.1	19.9	6.3
2001	431	23.1	18.7	3.2
2002	434	21.6	20.1	4.8
2003	434	21.6	20.1	4.8
2004	432	22.6	19.1	6
2005	423	20.0	21.2	7.6
2006	424	20.7	20.5	7.8
2007	432	20.7	20.9	7.9
2008	421	20.1	20.9	8.8
2009	426	21.9	19.5	10.1
2010	432	21.8	19.7	15
2011	426	22.8	18.6	17.8
2012	433	22.8	18.9	17.6
2013	432	22.5	19.2	21.8
2014	430	23.5	18.2	25.3
2015	425	24.0	17.7	28.5
2016	439	25.0	17.5	42.1
2017	408	25.1	16.2	35
2018	392	23.1	16.9	40.8
2019	393	21.5	18.2	45
2020	389	22.2	17.5	46.5
2021	371	23.4	15.8	49.3
2022	338	23.8	14.2	46.2
2023	338	22.7	14.8	49.7

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	383	15.9	24.0	8.6
1989	408	14.5	28.1	7.8
1990	430	18.9	22.7	8.4
1991	437	20.3	21.5	3.4
1992	463	22.0	21.0	3.9
1993	471	23.8	19.8	4.2
1994	464	27.8	16.7	5
1995	463	21.1	21.9	3.5
1996	463	21.1	21.9	3.5
1997	465	21.1	22.0	3
1998	451	21.1	21.4	3.8
1999	447	19.8	22.6	6.7
2000	440	22.1	19.9	6.3
2001	431	23.1	18.7	3.2
2002	434	21.6	20.1	4.8
2003	434	21.6	20.1	4.8
2004	432	22.6	19.1	6
2005	423	20.0	21.2	7.6
2006	424	20.7	20.5	7.8
2007	432	20.7	20.9	7.9
2008	421	20.1	20.9	8.8
2009	426	21.9	19.5	10.1
2010	432	21.8	19.7	15
2011	426	22.8	18.6	17.8
2012	433	22.8	18.9	17.6
2013	432	22.5	19.2	21.8
2014	430	23.5	18.2	25.3
2015	425	24.0	17.7	28.5
2016	439	25.0	17.5	42.1
2017	408	25.1	16.2	35
2018	392	23.1	16.9	40.8
2019	393	21.5	18.2	45
2020	389	22.2	17.5	46.5
2021	371	23.4	15.8	49.3
2022	338	23.8	14.2	46.2
2023	338	22.7	14.8	49.7

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 Jefferson Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$622 (4.5%)	$13,323 (95.5%)	$13,945

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Jefferson Elementary 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 322^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 283^rd of 565 Elementary schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson Elementary School)	66.7	77.8	11.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44	43.3	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary School)	84.8	81.5	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	52	52.1	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson Elementary School)	54.8	76.9	22.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	49.7	52.4	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary School)	69.4	63.5	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.9	47.6	3.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson Elementary School)	69.6	70.9	1.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	46.5	49.5	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary School)	73.2	67.3	5.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.4	51.6	3.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	393	338	14%
African American	24	29	20.8%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	17	10	41.2%
Hispanic	45	51	13.3%
Pacific Islander	1	3	200%
White	276	220	20.3%
Two or More Races	29	25	13.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45%	49.7%	4.7%

Schools Near Jefferson Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2425 Watrous Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8416	338	23	14.8	49.7%	220 (65.1%)	29 (8.6%)	51 (15.1%)	10 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	25 (7.4%)	49	341^st of 557 public elementary schools	38.8%		55	283^rd of 565 public elementary schools	49.9%	58	66.0	68.0	77.6	75.5	72.0	69.4	49.0	$13,945	$622	$13,323
Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	273	20	13.4	83.2%	120 (44.0%)	33 (12.1%)	81 (29.7%)	7 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.4%)	21.3	466^th of 557 public elementary schools	16.3%		4.1	547^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.2%	81	60.6	38.5	55.3	69.7	53.8	50.0	52.6	$15,928	$1,243	$14,685
Park Ave Elementary School	Public	K-5	3141 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8429	378	29	13.2	80.4%	164 (43.4%)	56 (14.8%)	109 (28.8%)	13 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.0%)	4.4	540^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.1%		6.5	534^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.5%	6	39.2	28.6	37.1	54.9	37.5	44.4	38.1	$16,460	$1,357	$15,103
Morris Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Geil Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8421	444	36	12.5	87.6%	162 (36.5%)	77 (17.3%)	164 (36.9%)	14 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.1%)	9.4	516^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.4%		7.7	530^th of 565 public elementary schools	6.2%	14	35.4	50.0	52.5	35.4	55.4	55.9	37.3	$16,468	$1,455	$15,012
South Union Elementary School	Public	K-5	4201 South Union	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8409	442	37	11.8	88.7%	117 (26.5%)	103 (23.3%)	132 (29.9%)	52 (11.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.7%)	7	528^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.2%		5.6	541^st of 565 public elementary schools	4.2%	13	38.5	51.6	44.8	55.8	37.1	53.7	31.3	$14,822	$1,433	$13,389
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	243	20	12.3	25.1%	163 (67.1%)	23 (9.5%)	25 (10.3%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.5%)	71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%		57.5	261^st of 565 public elementary schools	53.8%	112	63.6	86.4	84.2	78.8	84.1	73.7	71.1	$14,247	$621	$13,626
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	272	18	15.1	55.5%	144 (52.9%)	49 (18.0%)	38 (14.0%)	8 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (11.8%)	45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%		24.1	466^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.5%	102	68.8	52.3	74.2	87.5	52.3	71.0	64.5	$16,236	$666	$15,571
Howe Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Indianola	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8413	297	25	11.9	88.6%	78 (26.3%)	68 (22.9%)	105 (35.4%)	27 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	11.2	506^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.7	501^st of 565 public elementary schools	11.3%	5	28.0	48.6	54.0	46.0	43.2	64.0	40.0	$16,527	$1,727	$14,800
Lovejoy Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Kenyon Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8419	365	32	11.4	89.3%	94 (25.8%)	87 (23.8%)	117 (32.1%)	39 (10.7%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	4.1	542^nd of 557 public elementary schools	2.7%		4.6	544^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.7%	2	24.1	50.0	41.9	49.1	33.3	45.2	35.5	$17,256	$2,903	$14,353
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	269	20	13.5	65.4%	94 (34.9%)	86 (32.0%)	44 (16.4%)	14 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (10.4%)	33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%		28.8	444^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.4%	14	50.0	82.1	65.4	70.0	53.6	57.7	48.0	$16,042	$659	$15,382

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary School

Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?

Jefferson Elementary School ranks 341^st of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary School?

Students at Jefferson Elementary School are 65% White, 15% Hispanic, 9% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 338 students attended Jefferson Elementary School.

What district is Jefferson Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Brody Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

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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.