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Jefferson Elementary School

Public Grades 4-6

Summary

Jefferson Elementary School is a public middle school located in Charleston, Illinois, serving grades 4-6 with a total enrollment of 663 students. The school is part of the Charleston CUSD 1 district, which is ranked 641 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key concerns at Jefferson Elementary School is the consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.4% to 29.6% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Academically, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are all below the state and district averages. For example, the school's Mathematics proficiency rates range from only 7% to 28.9%, which are well below the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 46.61% to 50.38%, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Charleston Middle School and Cumberland Middle School, Jefferson Elementary School generally underperforms in academic proficiency rates and statewide rankings. Addressing the high chronic absenteeism and targeting interventions to support the school's economically disadvantaged student population could be crucial for improving the overall performance and outcomes at Jefferson Elementary School.

698

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,817

Per pupil spending ?

51.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

801 Jefferson Ave
Charleston, IL 61920-1527

(217) 639-7000

District: Charleston CUSD 1

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Charleston High School

Feeder schools for Jefferson Elementary School:

Elementary:	Ashmore Elementary School
	Carl Sandburg Elementary School
	Mark Twain Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.9%

African American:

10.0%

Hispanic:

7.3%

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Compare Jefferson Elementary School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 38th percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (33% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 16 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg35%

Illinois avg44%

1,283^rd of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

641^st of 811Charleston CUSD 1 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	1283 of 2056	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	1375 of 2067	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	1340 of 2077	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.7	1377 of 2082	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	1132 of 1948	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.8	1480 of 2086	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.1	1350 of 2037	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.4	1281 of 2044	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.5	1305 of 2046	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.6	1272 of 2052	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	65.3	758 of 2093	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	71.7	619 of 2167	71.4%	★★★★☆
2012	73.5	607 of 2166	72.0%	★★★★☆
2011	73.8	590 of 2147	72.5%	★★★★☆
2010	77.4	460 of 2139	78.5%	★★★★☆
2009	81.7	280 of 2120	86.8%	★★★★☆
2008	77.1	449 of 2092	78.5%	★★★★☆
2007	71.4	654 of 2095	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.5	567 of 2086	72.8%	★★★★☆
2005	66.6	804 of 2022	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	58.9	1027 of 2030	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	68.8	749 of 2020	62.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	516 of 688	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.5	622 of 655	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	601 of 684	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.8	197 of 428	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.8	436 of 711	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.9	580 of 698	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	746 of 1049	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.0	562 of 886	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	583 of 907	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	1380 of 1942	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	1365 of 1942	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.9	1269 of 1957	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.1	1349 of 1970	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.0	1127 of 1680	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.5	1455 of 2019	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	1271 of 1964	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	731 of 982	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.6	636 of 959	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	16.3	932 of 970	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	46.4	24 of 44	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	18 of 30	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.2	23 of 36	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.7	1426 of 1800	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	1289 of 1793	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.3	1379 of 1808	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	1400 of 1763	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.7	818 of 1514	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.5	1418 of 1816	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	1364 of 1765	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	1061 of 1947	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	1230 of 1959	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.7	1261 of 1984	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.7	1254 of 1977	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.1	995 of 1707	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	1405 of 2019	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.4	1327 of 1972	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	34.3	73 of 120	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.8	67 of 93	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.9	63 of 93	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.6	71 of 95	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	34 of 40	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.7	76 of 89	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.0	59 of 78	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	1103 of 1292	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	955 of 1195	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	1001 of 1156	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.2	851 of 1113	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	503 of 640	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	935 of 1194	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	454 of 763	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	1169 of 1389	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	1229 of 1392	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	1263 of 1419	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	1305 of 1425	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	1092 of 1308	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.5	1381 of 1462	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	1286 of 1463	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)46th percentile+8 vs school

Homeless (2025)45th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)39th percentile~ school

Female (2025)29th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2025)29th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)26th percentile-12 vs school

African American (2025)25th percentile-13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile-17 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2025)15th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts45%-8 vs state

Science30%-10 vs state

Mathematics23%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jefferson Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)						IAR Mathematics (2025)						% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	4-6	801 Jefferson Ave	Charleston	61920	Coles County	Charleston CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 639-7000	698	44	16.0	51.6%	523 (74.9%)	70 (10.0%)	51 (7.3%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.2%)								(n/a)	30.1		42.1	42.8	51.5			45.2	28.9	16.8	23.4			23.0	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	99.0	96.9	96.9	29.7	$11,817	$467	$11,350
Charleston Middle School	Public	7-8	920 Smith Dr	Charleston	61920	Coles County	Charleston CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 639-6000	401	30	13.3	48.1%	306 (76.3%)	32 (8.0%)	24 (6.0%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (8.0%)	47.7	657^th of 1368 public middle schools	52.0%		43.7	693^rd of 1363 public middle schools	49.2%	36		49.2				48.9	60.3	54.8				23.0	17.5	20.2	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	$14,820	$556	$14,265
Mattoon Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 S 9th St	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Mattoon CUSD 2	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 238-5800	610	53	11.5	64.6%	502 (82.3%)	26 (4.3%)	39 (6.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	49.7	628^th of 1368 public middle schools	54.1%		46.3	654^th of 1363 public middle schools	52.0%	26		41.6			49.2	52.6	40.4	47.2			30.6	35.4	31.7	32.6	99.4	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.0	99.2	99.0	96.8	$15,586	$1,141	$14,445
Cumberland Middle School	Public	5-8	1496 Illinois Route 121	Toledo	62468	Cumberland County	Cumberland CUSD 77	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 923-3135	282	14	20.0	35.8%	274 (97.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	33.8	880^th of 1368 public middle schools	35.7%		49.7	599^th of 1363 public middle schools	56.1%	281	22.1	30.0		33.3	34.3	34.8	44.3	36.4		20.5	17.9	29.0	27.9	23.6	99.6	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.9	100.0	99.6	74.7	$10,823	$83	$10,739

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary School

What district is Jefferson Elementary School in?

Charleston CUSD 1

What high school do graduates of Jefferson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually go on to attend Charleston High School

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 698 students attended Jefferson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary School?

Students at Jefferson Elementary School are 75% White, 10% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board 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.