Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Jefferson High School

Public Grades 9-12

622^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 11% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Jefferson High School is a public high school located in Rockford, Illinois, serving 2,170 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Rockford School District 205, which is ranked 745 out of 811 school districts in Illinois and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Jefferson High School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Illinois high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state and district averages across various standardized tests. For example, in 2024-2025, only 16.9% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 51.7%. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 5.7% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 39.3%. Additionally, Jefferson High School's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 73.5% and 89.0% over the past few years, which is lower than the state and district averages, and the school's dropout rate has also been higher than the state and district averages.

Interestingly, Jefferson High School's academic performance is significantly lower than the nearby Auburn High School and Guilford High School, which are also part of the Rockford School District 205. Additionally, Stillman Valley High School, which is in a different school district (Meridian CUSD 223), significantly outperforms Jefferson High School across all academic metrics. Despite the school's low academic performance, Jefferson High School's spending per student ($14,365 in 2023-2024) is higher than the state and district averages, suggesting that resource allocation may not be the primary driver of the school's challenges.

2,173

Students ?

19.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,233

Per pupil spending ?

70%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4145 Samuelson Rd
Rockford, IL 61109-3249

(815) 874-9536

District: Rockford School District 205

Feeder schools for Jefferson High School:

Elementary:	Arthur Froberg Elementary School
	Cherry Valley Elementary School
	Julia Lathrop Elementary School
	Riverdahl Elementary School
	More...
	Swan Hillman Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School
Middle:	Rockford Envrnmntl Science Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.5%

African American:

19.7%

White:

17.3%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Jefferson High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 30th percentile in 2015 → 11th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (17% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (80% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school17%

District avg25%

Illinois avg48%

622^nd of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 30% (2015) to bottom 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4High Schools in the Rockford School District 205

745^th of 811Rockford School District 205 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	10.4	622 of 698	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	609 of 697	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	592 of 699	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	570 of 699	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.1	582 of 688	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	583 of 701	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.0	556 of 647	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.0	561 of 642	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.6	537 of 643	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	30.7	429 of 614	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	18.8	553 of 670	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.9	550 of 670	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	16.5	559 of 665	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	17.9	542 of 655	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	14.1	551 of 643	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.5	539 of 632	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.2	535 of 624	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	14.6	527 of 612	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.9	502 of 596	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	25.5	486 of 590	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	44.0	395 of 592	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2003	22.1	483 of 586	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.9	270 of 323	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	237 of 299	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.4	178 of 301	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.2	237 of 294	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.8	231 of 281	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	227 of 299	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.1	141 of 253	44.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	6.3	138 of 148	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.3	136 of 137	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.4	133 of 141	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.5	132 of 135	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.8	109 of 130	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	426 of 491	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	249 of 429	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.0	288 of 428	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	262 of 284	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	158 of 248	36.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	147 of 217	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	146 of 205	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.4	70 of 189	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.6	141 of 183	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.5	105 of 151	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.2	609 of 685	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	582 of 664	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	563 of 656	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.1	567 of 658	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	554 of 639	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.6	553 of 665	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	519 of 620	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	340 of 366	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	318 of 336	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	301 of 333	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.5	260 of 335	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	266 of 317	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	255 of 317	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	258 of 291	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	109 of 138	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	68 of 125	45.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	55 of 104	47.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	55.8	25 of 98	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	38.8	47 of 91	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	13.0	612 of 672	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	573 of 639	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	533 of 644	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	478 of 626	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.0	480 of 611	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.5	457 of 639	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	488 of 585	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	617 of 685	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	582 of 668	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	555 of 668	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	502 of 664	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	536 of 653	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	551 of 675	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.6	541 of 619	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	7.3	203 of 211	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	173 of 182	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	146 of 163	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	139 of 170	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	154 of 160	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.7	161 of 165	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	151 of 154	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	445 of 527	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	313 of 482	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.8	331 of 476	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	286 of 493	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.3	270 of 453	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	199 of 473	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.2	248 of 374	33.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	551 of 564	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.3	500 of 554	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	489 of 557	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	498 of 560	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.6	524 of 553	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	521 of 552	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	503 of 548	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)21st percentile+10 vs school

African American (2025)16th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)16th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)11th percentile~ school

Male (2025)10th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)8th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)7th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2025)7th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)4th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)2nd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts17%-35 vs state

Science16%-32 vs state

Mathematics6%-34 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Jefferson High School and help other families decide.

Rate Jefferson High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Jefferson High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PreACT Secure English Language Arts (2025)		PreACT Secure Mathematics (2025)		PreACT Secure Science (2025)		ACT English Language Arts (2025)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (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	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 9th Grade	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 10th Grade	ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	% 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 High School	Public	9-12	4145 Samuelson Rd	Rockford	61109	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 874-9536	2,173	111	19.6	70.0%	377 (17.3%)	428 (19.7%)	1,205 (55.5%)	52 (2.4%)	11 (0.5%)	1 (0.0%)	99 (4.6%)	10.4	622^nd of 698 public high schools	10.9%		14	609^th of 697 public high schools	12.6%	13	32.8	26.5	6.2	4.8	21.6	21.1	16.9	5.7	16.5	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	99.0	$14,233	$1,032	$13,201
College and Career Education Cent	Public	9-12	4151 Samuelson Rd	Rockford	61109	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 966-6639	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Rockford East High School	Public	9-12	2929 Charles St	Rockford	61108	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 229-2100	1,719	105	16.3	71.6%	458 (26.6%)	521 (30.3%)	507 (29.5%)	89 (5.2%)	12 (0.7%)	2 (0.1%)	130 (7.6%)	12.1	612^th of 698 public high schools	12.3%		18.2	567^th of 697 public high schools	18.7%	45	33.7	29.7	6.3	6.1	22.5	25.8	15.9	7.8	17.7	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.6	$16,293	$1,109	$15,184
Roosevelt Center	Public	9-12	978 Haskell Ave	Rockford	61103	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 966-3251	60	44	1.3	83.3%	7 (11.7%)	26 (43.3%)	15 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (20.0%)								(n/a)										100.0	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	100.0	96.0	$20,114	$1,335	$18,779
Guilford High School	Public	9-12	5620 Spring Creek Rd	Rockford	61114	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 654-4870	2,216	114	19.5	58.7%	783 (35.3%)	641 (28.9%)	542 (24.5%)	72 (3.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	174 (7.9%)	27.6	519^th of 698 public high schools	25.6%		31.4	463^rd of 697 public high schools	33.6%	56	43.7	43.0	12.1	12.5	28.3	34.4	34.9	21.6	34.9	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	97.8	$14,307	$961	$13,345
Career Educ Assoc of N Central IL	Public	11-12	300 Heart Blvd	Loves Park	61111	Winnebago County	Boone/Winnebago ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 636-3060	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Auburn High School	Public	9-12	5110 Auburn St	Rockford	61101	Winnebago County	Rockford School District 205	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 966-3300	1,957	102	19.2	67.1%	506 (25.9%)	840 (42.9%)	377 (19.3%)	75 (3.8%)	4 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	153 (7.8%)	40.6	434^th of 698 public high schools	37.8%		50.3	307^th of 697 public high schools	56.0%	127	48.0	44.7	27.6	27.3	35.7	41.8	38.6	27.2	37.2	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.0	$15,833	$1,093	$14,740
Summit Academy TAOEP	Public	6-12	1102 Evans Ave	Machesney Park	61115	Winnebago County	Boone/Winnebago ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 636-3060	0	9	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Summit Academy RSSP	Public	6-12	1102 Evans Ave	Machesney Park	61115	Winnebago County	Boone/Winnebago ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(779) 771-6392	0	9	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Summit Academy ALOP	Public	9-12	1102 Evans Ave	Machesney Park	61115	Winnebago County	Boone/Winnebago ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 636-3060	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson High School

How many students attend Jefferson High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,173 students attended Jefferson High School.

What schools feed into Jefferson High School?

Jefferson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Arthur Froberg Elementary School
Elementary : Cherry Valley Elementary School
Elementary : Julia Lathrop Elementary School
Elementary : Riverdahl Elementary School
Elementary : Swan Hillman Elementary School
Elementary : Washington Elementary School
Middle : Rockford Envrnmntl Science Academy

Is Jefferson High School a good school?

Jefferson High School ranks in the bottom 10.9% of Illinois high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson High School?

Students at Jefferson High School are 55% Hispanic, 20% African American, 17% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Jefferson High School in?

Rockford School District 205

Rate Jefferson High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ILIllinois High School Rankings

ILIllinois District Rankings

Schools in Rockford, IL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Jefferson High School!

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.