Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 680 th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 425 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 45% African American, 38% White, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Shelby Middle High : Cleveland ECHS High : Shelby High

Jefferson Elementary

Summary:

Jefferson Elementary is a public elementary school located in Shelby, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 429. The school is part of the Cleveland County Schools district, which is ranked 121 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Jefferson Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American (42.66%) and Hispanic (8.39%) students. The school has shown strong academic performance in certain areas, outperforming the Cleveland County Schools and North Carolina state averages in the percentage of students proficient or better in EOG/Mathematics for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, as well as EOG/Reading for 3rd grade. However, the school struggles to support its special education and gifted/talented student populations, ranking in the bottom quartile of North Carolina elementary schools for these subgroups.

While Jefferson Elementary outperforms the district and state averages in some academic areas, it lags behind several nearby schools, such as Springmore Elementary and Boiling Springs Elementary, which consistently rank higher in the state. Additionally, the school's performance has fluctuated significantly over the years, and it serves a student population with a very high percentage (over 98%) of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1166 Wyke Road
Shelby, NC 28150-4259

(704) 476-8390

District: Cleveland County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
680^th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,297

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Shelby Middle
High:	Cleveland ECHS
	Shelby High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 425

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.4%

White:

37.6%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jefferson Elementary ranks better than 54.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 8^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.22. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (45.4%), White (37.6%), Hispanic (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jefferson Elementary is 15.7, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Jefferson Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jefferson Elementary is $10,297, which is the 6^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Cleveland County Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Jefferson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson Elementary 680^th of 1505 North Carolina 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:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Cleveland County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cleveland County Schools 121^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Jefferson Elementary?

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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	NC State Percentile
2012	77.51	253^rd	1388	81.8%
2013	71.70	331^st	1403	76.4%
2014	68.09	427^th	1390	69.3%
2015	61.88	541^st	1440	62.4%
2016	58.14	586^th	1425	58.9%
2017	56.66	636^th	1429	55.5%
2018	52.38	705^th	1434	50.8%
2019	52.84	717^th	1473	51.3%
2021	70.86	384^th	1489	74.2%
2022	69.43	407^th	1514	73.1%
2023	50.62	759^th	1502	49.5%
2024	54.22	680^th	1505	54.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.00	635^th	801	20.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina 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	NC State Percentile
2018	52.77	623^rd	1332	53.2%
2019	60.37	481^st	1361	64.7%
2021	60.21	419^th	1329	68.5%
2022	64.19	369^th	1366	73.0%
2023	54.87	601^st	1437	58.2%
2024	55.01	603^rd	1450	58.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina 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	NC State Percentile
2018	41.67	898^th	1405	36.1%
2019	56.04	629^th	1424	55.8%
2021	57.88	566^th	1440	60.7%
2022	67.45	419^th	1458	71.3%
2023	48.73	763^rd	1459	47.7%
2024	64.34	466^th	1455	68.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	25.95	740^th	878	15.7%
2021	26.21	528^th	646	18.3%
2022	18.28	607^th	634	4.3%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	50.78	350^th	500	30.0%
2023	37.69	521^st	582	10.5%
2024	39.82	580^th	669	13.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	60.62	556^th	1413	60.7%
2019	49.44	751^st	1430	47.5%
2021	80.96	220^th	1444	84.8%
2022	69.72	387^th	1464	73.6%
2023	52.06	707^th	1461	51.6%
2024	41.39	882^nd	1464	39.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	68.04	223^rd	927	75.9%
2019	64.36	262^nd	949	72.4%
2021	70.94	142^nd	896	84.2%
2022	72.21	168^th	927	81.9%
2023	49.06	443^rd	933	52.5%
2024	53.84	377^th	924	59.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	43.10	739^th	1178	37.3%
2019	65.33	393^rd	1183	66.8%
2021	80.03	191^st	1172	83.7%
2022	68.30	341^st	1194	71.4%
2023	57.01	510^th	1183	56.9%
2024	64.05	398^th	1166	65.9%

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

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, 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: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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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
2005	204	201	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
2006	191	201	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
2007	192	181	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	11	392
2008	184	138	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	12	341
2009	183	142	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	336
2010	190	147	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	349
2011	180	124	4	21	0	0	11	0	340
2012	216	151	4	31	0	0	19	0	421
2013	204	153	4	34	0	0	21	0	416
2014	182	158	3	28	0	0	9	0	380
2015	172	192	3	28	0	0	19	0	414
2016	154	184	4	21	0	0	19	0	382
2017	154	190	3	25	0	0	24	0	396
2018	164	166	3	22	0	0	29	0	384
2019	148	196	2	21	0	0	32	0	399
2020	138	177	2	21	1	0	36	0	375
2021	139	161	1	21	2	0	22	0	346
2022	150	169	2	25	2	0	29	0	377
2023	172	183	4	36	1	0	33	0	429
2024	160	193	3	34	1	0	34	0	425

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	414	20.0	20.7	48.8
2006	398	20.0	19.9	45
2007	392	n/a	n/a	47
2008	341	29.1	11.7	48.9
2009	336	27.6	12.2	44.3
2010	349	23.7	14.6	13.8
2011	340	24.5	13.8	41.2
2012	421	27.3	15.3	48
2013	416	27.4	15.1	51
2014	380	27.5	13.7	63.9
2015	414	27.0	15.3	58.7
2016	382	27.0	14.1	65.2
2017	396	25.1	15.7	99.2
2018	384	27.9	13.7	99.2
2019	399	25.1	15.8	99.2
2020	375	24.1	15.5	99.2
2021	346	23.5	14.7	99.1
2022	377	26.3	14.2	99.2
2023	429	30.7	13.9	98.4
2024	425	27.0	15.7	99.3

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
2005	414	20.0	20.7	48.8
2006	398	20.0	19.9	45
2007	392	n/a	n/a	47
2008	341	29.1	11.7	48.9
2009	336	27.6	12.2	44.3
2010	349	23.7	14.6	13.8
2011	340	24.5	13.8	41.2
2012	421	27.3	15.3	48
2013	416	27.4	15.1	51
2014	380	27.5	13.7	63.9
2015	414	27.0	15.3	58.7
2016	382	27.0	14.1	65.2
2017	396	25.1	15.7	99.2
2018	384	27.9	13.7	99.2
2019	399	25.1	15.8	99.2
2020	375	24.1	15.5	99.2
2021	346	23.5	14.7	99.1
2022	377	26.3	14.2	99.2
2023	429	30.7	13.9	98.4
2024	425	27.0	15.7	99.3

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	$1,501 (14.6%)	$8,795 (85.4%)	$10,297

Data source: North Carolina 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 717^th of 1473 Elementary schools	Ranks 759^th of 1502 Elementary schools	1.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary)	65.3	53.8	11.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)	71.1	61.1	10%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	64.3	61.1	3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Jefferson Elementary)	50.7	44.6	6.1%
3rd Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)	57.7	50.4	7.3%
3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)	56.8	48	8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Jefferson Elementary)	67.6	66.7	0.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cleveland County Schools)	61.8	53.9	7.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
4th Grade Reading (Jefferson Elementary)	53.5	55.6	2.1%
4th Grade Reading (Cleveland County Schools)	55.7	50.8	4.9%
4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	399	429	7.5%
African American	196	183	6.6%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	4	100%
Hispanic	21	36	71.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	148	172	16.2%
Two or More Races	32	33	3.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.2%	98.4%	0.9%

Schools Near Jefferson Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG 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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1166 Wyke Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8390	425	27	15.7	99.3%	160 (37.6%)	193 (45.4%)	34 (8.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.0%)	54.2	680^th of 1505 public elementary schools	54.8%		50.6	759^th of 1502 public elementary schools	49.5%	79	77.6	56.7	60.7	62.1	47.8	41.0	55.7	$10,297	$1,501	$8,795
Elizabeth Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	220 S Post Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8371	581	38	15.1	99.5%	135 (23.2%)	281 (48.4%)	96 (16.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (11.0%)	20.3	1279^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.0%		20	1255^th of 1502 public elementary schools	16.4%	24	50.7	45.1	42.0	31.6	26.4	27.5	52.2	$9,413	$1,457	$7,956
James Love Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 James Love Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8385	356	29	12.1	99.2%	89 (25.0%)	192 (53.9%)	50 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.0%)	31.1	1080^th of 1505 public elementary schools	28.2%		46.5	823^rd of 1502 public elementary schools	45.2%	257	52.6	42.0	46.0	35.1	39.2	50.0	56.0	$12,191	$1,637	$10,553
Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1907 Stony Point Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8260	386	28	13.5	99.2%	222 (57.5%)	76 (19.7%)	54 (14.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.0%)	14.2	1374^th of 1505 public elementary schools	8.7%		18.6	1277^th of 1502 public elementary schools	15.0%	97	41.5	29.8	24.5	33.8	35.1	22.6	52.8	$9,971	$1,530	$8,441
Township Three Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	526 Davis Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8245	541	42	13.0	99.4%	217 (40.1%)	205 (37.9%)	58 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.3%)	20.6	1276^th of 1505 public elementary schools	15.2%		22	1231^st of 1502 public elementary schools	18.0%	45	33.8	39.3	45.9	33.8	41.6	29.7	51.4	$9,675	$1,374	$8,301
Bethware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	115 Bethware Drive	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8346	530	36	14.7	99.4%	345 (65.1%)	99 (18.7%)	47 (8.9%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.5%)	73	356^th of 1505 public elementary schools	76.3%		56.5	649^th of 1502 public elementary schools	56.8%	293	91.8	59.8		66.0	48.3			$9,644	$1,089	$8,555
Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Union Church Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8250	424	30	14.1	99.3%	258 (60.8%)	105 (24.8%)	26 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	52.7	704^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.2%		41.3	907^th of 1502 public elementary schools	39.6%	203	74.4	53.8	58.9	37.2	46.2	48.2	76.4	$10,135	$1,538	$8,597
Fallston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	112 Gary Street	Fallston	28042	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8240	487	35	13.9	99.4%	366 (75.2%)	40 (8.2%)	39 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.2%)	39.7	937^th of 1505 public elementary schools	37.7%		62.1	544^th of 1502 public elementary schools	63.8%	393	54.2	48.6	59.7	36.1	41.9	39.0	70.1	$9,874	$1,550	$8,324
Springmore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	616 McBrayer Homestead Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8235	581	40	14.6	99.5%	410 (70.6%)	81 (13.9%)	59 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.2%)	77.4	290^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.7%		75.7	308^th of 1502 public elementary schools	79.5%	18	80.2	70.1	82.8	57.5	55.2	54.0	85.1	$9,568	$1,145	$8,422
Boiling Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1522 Patrick Avenue	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8361	555	38	14.7	99.5%	409 (73.7%)	79 (14.2%)	32 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	76.2	307^th of 1505 public elementary schools	79.6%		80.6	227^th of 1502 public elementary schools	84.9%	80	81.5	73.6	73.7	61.7	62.6	55.2	69.8	$9,229	$1,162	$8,067

Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Cleveland County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for all students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Jefferson Elementary

Rank History for White students at Jefferson Elementary

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary

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