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Jefferson Elementary School

Q: Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?

Jefferson Elementary School ranks 259 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

259^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 306 students. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the challenges faced by the district, Jefferson Elementary School consistently outperforms the district and the state of Iowa in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 76.9% of 3rd graders at Jefferson Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46% for the district and 67.9% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.9 to 14.8 in recent years, which is lower than many of the nearby schools.

While Jefferson Elementary School has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.1% to 42.0% in recent years, these rates are still lower than the district average. Additionally, the school serves a relatively economically disadvantaged population, with 40.2% to 49.7% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in recent years. Despite these challenges, the school's consistent academic performance and lower student-teacher ratio suggest it may be a model for other schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District to emulate.

312

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,945

Per pupil spending ?

41.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2425 Watrous Ave
Des Moines, IA 50321

(515) 242-8416

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Brody Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.4%

Hispanic:

12.2%

African American:

10.6%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Jefferson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 39th percentile in 2024 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 55th (2025) from a 39th-percentile low (2024)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Des Moines Independent Community School District

✓Above the Iowa median (55th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school75%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

259^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 37% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 38Elementary Schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District

306^th of 313Des Moines Independent 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	60.7	259 of 576	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	341 of 557	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.0	283 of 565	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.8	332 of 574	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.9	286 of 567	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	322 of 603	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.6	219 of 567	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.1	251 of 574	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.4	286 of 599	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.6	227 of 616	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	75.3	103 of 603	82.9%	★★★★☆
2013	72.6	123 of 624	80.3%	★★★★☆
2012	79.4	61 of 626	90.3%	★★★★★

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics79%+5 vs state

English Language Arts75%+4 vs state

Science65%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 21, 2019

Im very proud of this school. All staffs are awesome 👏 Close Quote

Schools Near Jefferson Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2425 Watrous Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8416	312	22	14.2	41.3%	204 (65.4%)	33 (10.6%)	38 (12.2%)	10 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	24 (7.7%)	60.7	259^th of 576 public elementary schools	55.0%		49	341^st of 557 public elementary schools	38.8%	82	76.9	69.6	77.6	86.5	69.6	79.6	65.3	$13,945	$622	$13,323
Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	265	22	12.2	77.7%	105 (39.6%)	34 (12.8%)	89 (33.6%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	22 (8.3%)	4.2	556^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.5%		21.3	466^th of 557 public elementary schools	16.3%	90	41.9	53.8	44.4	37.2	51.3	38.9	36.1	$15,928	$1,243	$14,685
Park Ave Elementary School	Public	K-5	3141 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8429	380	29	13.2	82.6%	148 (38.9%)	84 (22.1%)	105 (27.6%)	17 (4.5%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	20 (5.3%)	3.5	563^rd of 576 public elementary schools	2.3%		4.4	540^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.1%	23	39.6	40.8	36.8	45.3	46.9	47.4	38.6	$16,460	$1,357	$15,103
Morris Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Geil Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8421	519	39	13.3	87.7%	185 (35.6%)	70 (13.5%)	215 (41.4%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (7.1%)	11.6	521^st of 576 public elementary schools	9.5%		9.4	516^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.4%	5	38.4	67.2	50.0	38.4	62.5	54.2	38.9	$16,468	$1,455	$15,012
South Union Elementary School	Public	K-5	4201 South Union	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8409	422	34	12.4	84.8%	96 (22.7%)	91 (21.6%)	149 (35.3%)	41 (9.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.0%)	10.6	527^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.5%		7	528^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.2%	1	41.9	69.2	50.0	45.2	53.8	51.7	39.7	$14,822	$1,433	$13,389
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	197	15	13.4	21.3%	133 (67.5%)	16 (8.1%)	26 (13.2%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (9.6%)	72.3	145^th of 576 public elementary schools	74.8%		71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%	4	73.5	71.4	85.7	85.3	82.1	83.3	76.2	$14,247	$621	$13,626
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	293	20	14.6	46.4%	164 (56.0%)	49 (16.7%)	37 (12.6%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	34 (11.6%)	40.7	398^th of 576 public elementary schools	30.9%		45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%	34	65.9	84.4	57.1	63.4	81.3	64.3	57.1	$16,236	$666	$15,571
Howe Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Indianola	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8413	297	26	11.4	90.9%	68 (22.9%)	61 (20.5%)	131 (44.1%)	22 (7.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.7%)	3.6	562^nd of 576 public elementary schools	2.4%		11.2	506^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.2%	56	33.9	44.0	50.0	44.6	28.0	52.6	31.6	$16,527	$1,727	$14,800
Lovejoy Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Kenyon Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8419	394	33	12.1	89.3%	85 (21.6%)	106 (26.9%)	133 (33.8%)	45 (11.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.8%)	2.2	570^th of 576 public elementary schools	1.0%		4.1	542^nd of 557 public elementary schools	2.7%	28	35.6	45.5	40.4	44.1	47.3	30.8	32.7	$17,256	$2,903	$14,353
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	257	17	14.9	62.3%	76 (29.6%)	84 (32.7%)	49 (19.1%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (13.6%)	22.4	485^th of 576 public elementary schools	15.8%		33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%	55	55.8	72.0	63.0	39.5	61.5	51.9	59.3	$16,042	$659	$15,382

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson Elementary School

How many students attend Jefferson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 312 students attended Jefferson Elementary School.

What district is Jefferson Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson Elementary School?

Students at Jefferson Elementary School are 65% White, 12% Hispanic, 11% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Jefferson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Brody Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

Is Jefferson Elementary School a good school?

Jefferson Elementary School ranks 259^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Jefferson Elementary School!

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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.