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Thomas Jefferson High School

Public Grades 9-12

313^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 8% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Thomas Jefferson High School is a public high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, serving 1,206 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Council Bluffs Community School District, which is ranked 272 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas Jefferson High School consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages on standardized tests, with significantly lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. The school's four-year graduation rate has been around 80-88% in recent years, lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 47.2%, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school also has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.05% to 77.83% in recent years, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

When comparing Thomas Jefferson High School to other nearby schools, the performance gap is quite significant. Abraham Lincoln High School, also in the Council Bluffs Community School District, has higher academic proficiency rates, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism compared to Thomas Jefferson High School. Additionally, Glenwood Senior High School, Underwood High School, and Treynor High School, which are in other districts, significantly outperform Thomas Jefferson High School across all metrics. Lewis Central Senior High School, also in the Council Bluffs Community School District, performs better than Thomas Jefferson High School but not as well as the high-performing schools in other districts.

1,146

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,012

Per pupil spending ?

54.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2501 W Broadway
Council Bluffs, IA 51501-3595

(712) 328-6493

District: Council Bluffs Community School District

Feeder schools for Thomas Jefferson High School:

Elementary:	Carter Lake Elementary School
	Edison Elementary School
	Franklin Elementary School
	Roosevelt Elementary School
	More...
	Rue Elementary School
Middle:	Woodrow Wilson Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.1%

Hispanic:

19.4%

African American:

5.4%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Thomas Jefferson High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (49% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Iowa average (82% vs 88%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg51%

Iowa avg69%

313^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Council Bluffs Community School District

272^nd of 313Council Bluffs Community School District among Iowa 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	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	9.8	313 of 340	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	312 of 338	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.3	310 of 336	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.4	319 of 332	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.4	311 of 327	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.0	311 of 327	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	296 of 320	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.7	310 of 325	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.1	306 of 320	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.2	305 of 324	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.0	309 of 322	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	16.4	320 of 351	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	28.9	294 of 351	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics51%-15 vs state

English Language Arts50%-24 vs state

Science37%-30 vs state

1.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Administration is know for just increasing graduation rates, while not being concerned if students are ready for college or life behind high school. Principal has a track record of adjusting what is graded and what is not graded in a student's class in order to increase graduation rates! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, May 16, 2010

The teachers at this establishment are oddly confident about their ability to provide sub-standard education to area children. Half the students are years behind on basic skills, and instead of pushing them toward bettering themselves and focusing on their post-graduation plans, they pass them on to the next grade to be someone else's problem. I had three kids go there, all well above the norm educationally speaking, all of whom managed to go to respectable four year colleges and universities. I am lucky that they survived the transition period. Most graduates from TJ come back within the year because the preparation for higher education is non-existent. I was forced to confront administrators and teachers on a monthly basis because it seems that they are always taking privileges away from advanced students while making it easier for the low-achievers to slide even further. Close Quote

Schools Near Thomas Jefferson High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)			ISASP Mathematics (2025)			ISASP Science (2025)	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 (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	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	2501 W Broadway	Council Bluffs	51501	Pottawattamie County	Council Bluffs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 328-6493	1,146	66	17.3	54.8%	792 (69.1%)	62 (5.4%)	222 (19.4%)	12 (1.0%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (4.5%)	9.8	313^th of 340 public high schools	7.9%		11.3	312^th of 338 public high schools	7.7%	1	56.7	45.3	46.6	52.6	51.0	50.8	37.1	$19,012	$712	$18,300
Abraham Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	1205 Bonham Ave	Council Bluffs	51503	Pottawattamie County	Council Bluffs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 328-6481	1,333	87	15.3	46.1%	1,023 (76.7%)	47 (3.5%)	191 (14.3%)	11 (0.8%)	9 (0.7%)	6 (0.5%)	46 (3.5%)	14.2	305^th of 340 public high schools	10.3%		15.3	304^th of 338 public high schools	10.1%	1	63.5	57.4	53.0	54.3	54.6	44.3	48.0	$19,459	$745	$18,715
Lewis Central Senior High School	Public	9-12	3504 Harry Langdon Blvd.	Council Bluffs	51503	Pottawattamie County	Lewis Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 366-8322	1,020	59	17.4	32.8%	810 (79.4%)	22 (2.2%)	138 (13.5%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (4.2%)	63.7	133^rd of 340 public high schools	60.9%		62.7	131^st of 338 public high schools	61.2%	2	80.7	82.0	71.7	73.7	75.7	71.3	72.8	$12,326	$379	$11,947
Underwood High School	Public	9-12	629 North Street	Underwood	51576	Pottawattamie County	Underwood Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 566-2703	247	17	14.9	21.5%	225 (91.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	83.9	18^th of 340 public high schools	94.7%		79.2	36^th of 338 public high schools	89.3%	18	91.9	94.3	92.6	74.3	83.0	83.3	81.1	$13,963	$96	$13,867
Treynor High School	Public	9-12	102 E Main St	Treynor	51575	Pottawattamie County	Treynor Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 487-3804	254	18	14.1	14.2%	241 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	94.1	1^st of 340 public high schools	99.7%		95.2	1^st of 338 public high schools	99.7%		95.9	100.0	94.5	90.5	92.2	92.7	90.6	$13,022	$122	$12,901
Glenwood Senior High School	Public	9-12	504 East Sharp Street	Glenwood	51534	Mills County	Glenwood Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 527-4897	570	33	17.3	36.8%	500 (87.7%)	3 (0.5%)	38 (6.7%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.9%)	69	95^th of 340 public high schools	72.1%		60.6	143^rd of 338 public high schools	57.7%	48	90.3	77.9	74.3	86.6	76.6	77.1	66.9	$13,600	$303	$13,297

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Jefferson High School

How many students attend Thomas Jefferson High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,146 students attended Thomas Jefferson High School.

Is Thomas Jefferson High School a good school?

Thomas Jefferson High School ranks in the bottom 7.9% of Iowa high schools.

What district is Thomas Jefferson High School in?

Council Bluffs Community School District

What schools feed into Thomas Jefferson High School?

Thomas Jefferson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carter Lake Elementary School
Elementary : Edison Elementary School
Elementary : Franklin Elementary School
Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary School
Elementary : Rue Elementary School
Middle : Woodrow Wilson Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Jefferson High School?

Students at Thomas Jefferson High School are 69% White, 19% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Schools in Council Bluffs, IA

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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.