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Jefferson Elementary

Q: Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 997 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

997^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of California elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 400 students in the San Diego Unified district, notable for its strong and consistent academic improvement over the past decade despite serving a student population with significant economic need.

Academically, Jefferson outperforms both district and state averages in all core subjects, with particular strength in mathematics, and it shows effective support for students from various backgrounds. A key differentiator is the school's low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.5%, which is better than the district and state averages and significantly better than most nearby schools like Garfield Elementary (25.8%) and Edison Elementary (25.5%). The school also operates cost-effectively, spending less per student than many neighboring schools with similar or worse outcomes.

While Jefferson is a success story, it shares a common regional challenge: a notable drop in 5th-grade mathematics proficiency, a pattern also seen at Garfield and Adams Elementary. Compared to higher-performing but more affluent schools like McKinley Elementary, Jefferson strikes an impressive balance, delivering strong results for a diverse student body while demonstrating efficient use of resources.

400

Students ?

25.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,346

Per pupil spending ?

51.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3770 Utah St.
San Diego, CA 92104-3532

(619) 344-3300

District: San Diego Unified

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Roosevelt International Middle
High:	San Diego High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.3%

White:

33.8%

Two or more races:

14.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2013 → 83rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (64% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of California elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 50 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 25 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg49%

California avg41%

997^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From top 47% (2015) to top 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 120Elementary Schools in the San Diego Unified

577^th of 1,543San Diego Unified among California 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	California percentile	Rating
2025	83.3	997 of 5857	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	1360 of 5869	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	73.2	1447 of 5859	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.0	1144 of 5883	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	67.4	1723 of 5789	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	1698 of 5662	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	68.5	1643 of 5692	71.1%	★★★★☆
2016	47.3	2648 of 5614	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.5	2659 of 5611	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	34.7	3696 of 5530	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.1	3590 of 5390	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.7	2375 of 5377	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	26.1	4146 of 5314	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.4	3335 of 5193	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.9	2831 of 5113	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	26.8	3796 of 5113	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.6	3480 of 4818	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.8	3421 of 4822	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	29.2	3293 of 4809	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	64.8	507 of 2227	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	30.5	1768 of 2585	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	66.3	566 of 3311	82.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	1236 of 5597	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	1240 of 5612	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	1229 of 5609	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.1	1195 of 5635	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	70.1	1492 of 5492	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.5	1571 of 5413	71.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.5	837 of 5107	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	1334 of 5107	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	1195 of 5087	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	79.4	761 of 5084	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	74.6	932 of 4963	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	836 of 4830	82.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.7	1019 of 5460	81.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.6	1598 of 5517	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	71.6	1138 of 5363	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	86.8	473 of 5264	91.0%	★★★★★
2019	76.8	858 of 5173	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	866 of 5084	83.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	86.6	760 of 5628	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	1466 of 5643	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	1649 of 5638	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	1045 of 5663	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	1891 of 5510	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	1828 of 5431	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	717 of 2847	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	48.0	1025 of 2635	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	743 of 2420	69.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.5	72 of 2598	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	84.9	247 of 2651	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	82.3	337 of 2661	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	88.6	157 of 2726	94.2%	★★★★★

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)

White (2025)97th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)86th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)84th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2022)83rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)81st percentile~ school

Female (2025)78th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)77th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)75th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy69%+20 vs state

Mathematics63%+26 vs state

Science49%+16 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, July 26, 2012

parents trying to improve the school:

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Schools Near Jefferson Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)				CSA Spanish Listening (2025)				CSA Spanish Writing (2025)				CSA Spanish Reading (2025)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-5	3770 Utah St.	San Diego	92104	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-3300	400	16	25.0	51.5%	135 (33.8%)	11 (2.8%)	181 (45.3%)	14 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (14.5%)	83.3	997^th of 5857 public elementary schools	83.0%		75.3	1360^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.8%	363																	49.0		49.0	71.7	68.3	65.3				68.6	78.7	71.2	35.3				63.2							$22,346	$4,134	$18,212
Garfield Elementary	Public	K-5	4487 Oregon St.	San Diego	92116	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-4300	308	14	22.0	77.6%	54 (17.5%)	52 (16.9%)	173 (56.2%)	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.8%)	80.8	1123^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	80.8%		67.7	1697^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.1%	574																	44.2		44.2	62.2	75.0	69.8				68.8	71.1	67.5	37.2				58.6	96.2			96.2			$23,563	$4,192	$19,371
Edison Elementary	Public	K-5	4077 35th St.	San Diego	92104	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-5400	375	17	22.0	96.3%	6 (1.6%)	19 (5.1%)	328 (87.5%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	64.2	1879^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.9%		66.7	1747^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.2%	132																	28.9		28.9	53.9	50.9	62.0				55.3	44.8	58.9	47.2				50.0	96.2		97.4		97.4		$23,602	$4,758	$18,844
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-5	3045 Felton St.	San Diego	92104	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 282-7694	588	22	26.3	27.4%	299 (50.9%)	6 (1.0%)	184 (31.3%)	19 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	76 (12.9%)	96.5	190^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.8%		95	343^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	94.2%	153																	73.8		73.8	83.8	82.6	88.6				84.9	78.7	73.3	78.8				76.8	90.8	92.0	90.8	92.0	90.8	93.1	$19,832	$2,685	$17,147
Birney Elementary	Public	K-5	4345 Campus Ave.	San Diego	92103	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 497-3500	535	22	24.3	45.2%	204 (38.1%)	50 (9.3%)	178 (33.3%)	22 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (14.6%)	93.4	449^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.3%		90.5	666^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.7%	217																	81.2		81.2	66.7	81.9	81.2				76.3	64.4	85.1	77.9				75.8	97.0				97.0		$19,097	$2,925	$16,172
San Diego Global Vision Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	3430 School St.	San Diego	92116	San Diego County	San Diego Global Vision Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 600-5321	463	22	21.0	62.0%	48 (10.4%)	69 (14.9%)	261 (56.4%)	22 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (13.2%)	74	1420^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.8%		72.8	1458^th of 5869 public elementary schools	75.2%	38																	40.8	55.6	47.9	57.5	74.0	54.2	70.8	66.7	75.6	66.4	46.8	68.0	31.3	62.5	47.9	55.6	52.1							$29,729	$525	$29,204
Adams Elementary	Public	K-5	4672 35th St.	San Diego	92116	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 362-4200	290	14	20.7	70.7%	48 (16.6%)	19 (6.6%)	205 (70.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	43	3002^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	48.7%		29.6	3957^th of 5869 public elementary schools	32.6%	955	0.0	33.3	0.0	10.3	26.7	41.7	16.7	28.2	0.0	58.3	0.0	18.0	0.0	25.0	0.0	7.7	24.3		24.3	45.2	47.1	52.8				48.5	41.9	38.2	10.8				29.4	96.4			96.4			$24,006	$4,774	$19,232
Cherokee Point Elementary	Public	K-5	3735 38th St.	San Diego	92105	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 641-3400	298	12	24.8	91.6%	5 (1.7%)	22 (7.4%)	229 (76.8%)	31 (10.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	24.9	4416^th of 5857 public elementary schools	24.6%		33.5	3641^st of 5869 public elementary schools	38.0%	775																	14.3		14.3	34.9	24.5	19.1				26.1	48.8	24.5	16.7				29.9							$23,894	$3,462	$20,432
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	3878 Orange Ave.	San Diego	92105	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-6100	497	23	21.3	95.2%	6 (1.2%)	67 (13.5%)	343 (69.0%)	72 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.4%)	14.8	5283^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	9.8%		21.1	4767^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.8%	516																	11.7		11.7	22.1	23.9	28.0				24.6	17.2	17.8	15.6				16.9	87.2	95.7	93.6	91.5	91.5	93.6	$24,401	$5,048	$19,353
Normal Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	3750 Ward Rd.	San Diego	92116	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 584-6000	275	12	22.9	85.8%	9 (3.3%)	35 (12.7%)	210 (76.4%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	59.2	2105^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.1%		72.9	1452^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	75.3%	653																	30.2		30.2	41.9	62.5	44.2				49.1	45.2	65.6	44.2				50.9							$29,286	$5,690	$23,596

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary

Is Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Jefferson Elementary ranks 997^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Jefferson Elementary are 45% Hispanic, 34% White, 15% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

What district is Jefferson Elementary in?

San Diego Unified

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Roosevelt International Middle
High : San Diego High

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 400 students attended Jefferson Elementary.

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