Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 483 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 45% African American, 30% White, 17% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Central Junior High Middle : Central Middle High : Central High

Jefferson Elementary

Summary:

Jefferson Elementary is a public elementary school in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, serving 483 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Cape Girardeau 63 school district, which is ranked 248 out of 376 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Jefferson Elementary stands out in several key ways. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (44.51%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 13.39% to 32.77% African American. Academically, the school consistently underperforms the district and state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in 2022-2023, only 10.8% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the district average of 34.3% and the state average of 41.1%. Additionally, Jefferson Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.21% to 99.22% in recent years, indicating a high concentration of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Compared to nearby schools like Alma Schrader Elementary and Blanchard Elementary, which have significantly higher academic performance and lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the challenges faced by Jefferson Elementary appear to be unique to the school and its student population. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending of $12,085 in 2021-2022 and low student-teacher ratio of 11:1, these factors have not translated into improved academic outcomes, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to address the school's struggles.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

520 S Minnesota
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703-6603

(573) 334-2030

District: Cape Girardeau 63

SchoolDigger Rank:
813^th of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,085

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Central Junior High
	Central Middle
High:	Central High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 483

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.5%

White:

30.0%

Two or more races:

17.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.1%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jefferson Elementary ranks worse than 90.5% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau 63 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.4. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cape Girardeau 63 School District. Student population at Jefferson Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (44.5%), White (30%), two or more races (17%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Cape Girardeau 63 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary is 11. 2 elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau 63 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Jefferson Elementary employs 43.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jefferson Elementary is $12,085. 2 elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau 63 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Jefferson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson Elementary 813^th of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Jefferson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

White students:

Cape Girardeau 63:

SchoolDigger ranks Cape Girardeau 63 248^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent 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	MO State Percentile
2006	8.51	1039^th	1074	3.3%
2007	21.39	965^th	1080	10.6%
2008	12.69	1025^th	1084	5.4%
2009	21.93	913^th	1053	13.3%
2010	22.51	922^nd	1066	13.5%
2011	15.01	999^th	1088	8.2%
2012	15.75	979^th	1085	9.8%
2013	11.63	1034^th	1108	6.7%
2014	19.56	957^th	1089	12.1%
2015	20.15	903^rd	1058	14.7%
2016	8.21	813^th	865	6.0%
2017	13.20	934^th	1032	9.5%
2018	19.15	895^th	1045	14.4%
2019	13.45	946^th	1052	10.1%
2021	6.89	848^th	901	5.9%
2022	13.62	798^th	908	12.1%
2023	10.40	813^th	898	9.5%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	35.14	647^th	887	27.1%
2019	25.28	777^th	907	14.3%
2021	18.53	513^th	574	10.6%
2022	35.13	355^th	532	33.3%
2023	25.65	495^th	611	19.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	42.60	135^th	243	44.4%
2019	52.59	103^rd	250	58.8%
2022	37.27	119^th	184	35.3%
2023	24.81	153^rd	185	17.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	17.39	818^th	898	8.9%
2019	2.88	915^th	917	0.2%
2023	5.37	661^st	673	1.8%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

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
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	352	352
1992	278	58	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
1993	268	70	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
1994	218	56	8	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1995	247	56	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1996	247	56	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1997	265	62	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	331
1998	238	79	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	321
1999	228	72	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	303
2000	283	182	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
2001	260	171	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	435
2002	156	132	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
2003	156	132	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
2004	151	138	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	294
2005	149	147	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	298
2006	162	166	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2007	133	170	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
2008	132	178	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	318
2009	118	157	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	281
2010	119	144	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
2011	152	148	1	21	0	0	24	0	346
2012	142	154	1	26	3	0	29	0	355
2013	139	138	1	30	4	0	48	0	360
2014	132	153	0	27	0	0	49	0	361
2015	123	146	0	29	0	0	64	0	362
2016	109	170	1	22	0	0	59	0	361
2017	86	139	0	20	0	0	44	0	289
2018	74	125	1	26	0	0	35	0	261
2019	89	140	0	25	0	0	43	0	297
2020	111	150	0	26	0	0	52	0	339
2021	121	161	0	30	3	0	66	0	381
2022	114	165	2	37	3	0	65	0	386
2023	145	215	6	34	1	0	82	0	483

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
1991	352	23.0	15.3	n/a
1992	337	24.1	13.9	40.9
1993	339	24.1	14.1	41.6
1994	325	25.1	12.9	49.8
1995	311	25.1	12.4	55.9
1996	311	25.1	12.4	55.9
1997	331	25.1	13.2	37.5
1998	321	26.1	12.3	49.5
1999	303	26.6	11.4	49.2
2000	469	36.5	12.8	69.9
2001	435	39.8	10.9	73.6
2002	291	28.8	10.1	79.4
2003	291	28.8	10.1	79.4
2004	294	30.9	9.5	91.2
2005	298	29.6	10.1	86.9
2006	332	28.6	11.6	83.7
2007	309	28.1	11.0	91.6
2008	318	28.6	11.1	96.5
2009	281	29.8	9.4	74.7
2010	273	30.2	9.0	79.9
2011	346	28.9	11.9	74.9
2012	355	28.8	12.3	75.5
2013	360	32.2	11.1	76.7
2014	361	33.3	10.8	88.9
2015	362	33.0	10.9	89.8
2016	361	33.0	10.9	93.1
2017	289	31.0	9.2	92.4
2018	261	30.1	8.6	88.9
2019	297	30.1	9.8	99
2020	339	31.6	10.7	99.1
2021	381	35.5	10.7	99.2
2022	386	39.6	9.7	99.2
2023	483	43.6	11.0	10.1

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	352	23.0	15.3	n/a
1992	337	24.1	13.9	40.9
1993	339	24.1	14.1	41.6
1994	325	25.1	12.9	49.8
1995	311	25.1	12.4	55.9
1996	311	25.1	12.4	55.9
1997	331	25.1	13.2	37.5
1998	321	26.1	12.3	49.5
1999	303	26.6	11.4	49.2
2000	469	36.5	12.8	69.9
2001	435	39.8	10.9	73.6
2002	291	28.8	10.1	79.4
2003	291	28.8	10.1	79.4
2004	294	30.9	9.5	91.2
2005	298	29.6	10.1	86.9
2006	332	28.6	11.6	83.7
2007	309	28.1	11.0	91.6
2008	318	28.6	11.1	96.5
2009	281	29.8	9.4	74.7
2010	273	30.2	9.0	79.9
2011	346	28.9	11.9	74.9
2012	355	28.8	12.3	75.5
2013	360	32.2	11.1	76.7
2014	361	33.3	10.8	88.9
2015	362	33.0	10.9	89.8
2016	361	33.0	10.9	93.1
2017	289	31.0	9.2	92.4
2018	261	30.1	8.6	88.9
2019	297	30.1	9.8	99
2020	339	31.6	10.7	99.1
2021	381	35.5	10.7	99.2
2022	386	39.6	9.7	99.2
2023	483	43.6	11.0	10.1

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$974 (9.0%)	$9,880 (91.0%)	$10,855
2020	$1,113 (10.8%)	$9,200 (89.2%)	$10,313
2021	$1,082 (10.0%)	$9,700 (90.0%)	$10,783
2022	$2,054 (17.0%)	$10,031 (83.0%)	$12,084

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Jefferson Elementary

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 946^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 813^th of 898 Elementary schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary)	34.8	10.8	24%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cape Girardeau 63)	43.4	34.3	9.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson Elementary)	32.6	25	7.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cape Girardeau 63)	48.7	39.2	9.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary)	15	10.5	4.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cape Girardeau 63)	36.1	31.8	4.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson Elementary)	23.3	17.1	6.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cape Girardeau 63)	44.5	38.7	5.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	297	483	62.6%
African American	140	215	53.6%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	6
Hispanic	25	34	36%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	89	145	62.9%
Two or More Races	43	82	90.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99%	10.1%	88.8%

Schools Near Jefferson Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Mathematics (2023)				MAP Science (2023)	MAP English Language Arts (2023)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 S Minnesota	Cape Girardeau	63703	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-2030	483	44	11.0	10.1%	145 (30.0%)	215 (44.5%)	34 (7.0%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (17.0%)	10.4	813^th of 898 public elementary schools	9.5%		13.6	798^th of 908 public elementary schools	12.1%	15	10.8	10.5				25.0	17.1		$12,085	$2,054	$10,031
Franklin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1550 Themis	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-5456	217	28	7.6	1.4%	58 (26.7%)	105 (48.4%)	22 (10.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (13.8%)	26.2	696^th of 898 public elementary schools	22.5%		31.1	640^th of 908 public elementary schools	29.5%	56	25.0	37.5				9.6	40.0		$14,096	$1,497	$12,599
Alma Schrader Elementary	Public	K-4	1360 Randol	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	No	(573) 335-5310	351	29	12.2	0.9%	245 (69.8%)	47 (13.4%)	17 (4.8%)	10 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.1%)	67.9	275^th of 898 public elementary schools	69.4%		58.4	377^th of 908 public elementary schools	58.5%	102	44.6	43.8				60.8	51.6		$10,326	$1,322	$9,004
Clippard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2880 Hopper Rd	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-5720	470	43	11.0	0.6%	181 (38.5%)	154 (32.8%)	59 (12.6%)	18 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (11.9%)	29.4	665^th of 898 public elementary schools	25.9%		30.5	647^th of 908 public elementary schools	28.7%	18	29.7	25.3				34.1	32.1		$14,104	$1,651	$12,453
Blanchard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1829 N Sprigg St	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-3030	296	30	9.8	1.0%	153 (51.7%)	81 (27.4%)	11 (3.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (15.2%)								(n/a)	71.5	52.8							$10,713	$1,162	$9,551
Scott City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	3000 Main St	Scott City	63780	Scott County	Scott City R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 264-2131	270	23	12.0	64.1%	250 (92.6%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	31.9	640^th of 898 public elementary schools	28.7%		22.5	717^th of 908 public elementary schools	21.0%	77	13.0	25.9				42.6	38.9		$11,865	$2,158	$9,706
Nell Holcomb Elementary	Public	K-8	6547 State Hwy 177	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Nell Holcomb R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-3644	244	28	8.7	41.0%	219 (89.8%)	17 (7.0%)	3 (1.2%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		22.7	26.6	11.7	57.1			31.0	$11,791	$2,483	$9,308
East Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	455 N. Lacey Street	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-5271	717	47	15.1	31.2%	663 (92.5%)	13 (1.8%)	12 (1.7%)	13 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.1%)	81.9	131^st of 898 public elementary schools	85.4%		66.4	283^rd of 908 public elementary schools	68.8%	152	66.3	61.3				50.5	60.2		$14,915	$1,186	$13,730
South Elementary	Public	K-4	1701 S Hope St	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9575	409	31	13.1	53.8%	351 (85.8%)	18 (4.4%)	17 (4.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.4%)	50	457^th of 898 public elementary schools	49.1%		49.2	463^rd of 908 public elementary schools	49.0%	6	36.4	52.8				36.9	38.4		$11,354	$573	$10,781
Gordonville Attendance Center	Public	K-2	614 East Adams St	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-9580	54	4	14.3	31.5%	52 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.7%)								(n/a)									$13,762	$480	$13,282

Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Cape Girardeau 63:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for all students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for White students at Jefferson Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Jefferson Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Jefferson Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Jefferson Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Jefferson Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Jefferson Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Jefferson Elementary