Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Thomas Jefferson Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Dubuque Community School District, with 454 students enrolled. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Iowa middle schools over the past 10 years, placing it among the lowest-performing in the state. This is due to several key factors, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to other middle schools in the Dubuque district, such as Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School and George Washington Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School stands out as an outlier in terms of performance. These nearby schools have significantly higher statewide rankings, academic proficiency rates, and lower chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates. The high rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch recipients at Thomas Jefferson Middle School suggest that socioeconomic factors may be playing a significant role in the school's low academic performance.

Despite the school's consistently low performance, the data indicates that there is room for improvement. The school's proficiency rates, while still below the district and state averages, have shown some fluctuations over the years, suggesting that with the right strategies and resources, the school could potentially improve its academic outcomes. With targeted interventions and support, the school may be able to address these challenges and provide a higher-quality education for its students.