Jefferson City

Summary:

The Jefferson City school district in Missouri encompasses 16 schools, including 12 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools. The data reveals a mixed picture of the district's performance, with some standout schools excelling while others struggle.

Among the top-performing schools are Clarence Lawson Elementary and Thomas Jefferson Middle, both ranking in the top 25% of Missouri schools in their respective categories. These schools boast strong test scores, with over 60% of students proficient in math and English Language Arts. In contrast, schools like East Elementary and Moreau Heights Elementary struggle with lower performance.

The district's high schools, Jefferson City High and Capital City High School, both have strong graduation rates of 90.8% and low dropout rates of 2.4%. However, there is no clear correlation between per-student spending and school performance, as the higher-spending Jefferson City High has lower test scores than the lower-spending Capital City High. Additionally, many schools in the district face significant socioeconomic challenges, with up to 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

District Detail

315 E Dunklin St
Jefferson City, MO 65101-3128

(573) 659-3000

SchoolDigger Rank:
146^th of 367 Missouri districts

See the 2025 Missouri District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 8,491

Primary Schools: 11
Middle Schools: 2
High Schools: 4
Alternative Schools: 0

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)						MAP Science (2025)		MAP English Language Arts (2025)						MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP English II (2025)	MAP Algebra II (2025)	MAP Government (2025)	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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lewis And Clark Middle	Public	6-8	325 Lewis And Clark Dr	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3200	966	83	11.6	54.2%	593 (61.4%)	186 (19.3%)	58 (6.0%)	7 (0.7%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	116 (12.0%)	48.2	222^nd of 438 public middle schools	49.3%		54.1	205^th of 451 public middle schools	54.5%	17				47.3	31.8	22.4		30.9				37.4	41.7	41.0	98.2					$12,977	$402	$12,574
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	1201 Fairgrounds Rd	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3250	927	78	11.8	50.4%	548 (59.1%)	183 (19.7%)	85 (9.2%)	27 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (9.0%)	68.2	120^th of 438 public middle schools	72.6%		72.4	101^st of 451 public middle schools	77.6%	19				45.4	46.9	34.1		40.2				53.2	46.3	53.0	98.8					$12,775	$326	$12,449
Belair Elementary	Public	K-5	701 Belair	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3155	363	31	11.8	51.2%	225 (62.0%)	45 (12.4%)	59 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.4%)	69.2	262^nd of 900 public elementary schools	70.9%		60.8	343^rd of 906 public elementary schools	62.1%	81	61.6	47.1	52.5				43.8		51.6	40.4	59.5									$12,888	$505	$12,383
Cedar Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	1510 Vieth	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3160	313	28	11.1	49.5%	203 (64.9%)	44 (14.1%)	19 (6.1%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (13.1%)	51.2	446^th of 900 public elementary schools	50.4%		41.7	544^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.0%	98	38.5	46.1	34.7				43.4		33.2	44.1	47.8									$15,309	$415	$14,894
East Elementary	Public	K-5	1229 E McCarty	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3165	286	30	9.5	100.0%	115 (40.2%)	96 (33.6%)	24 (8.4%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (15.7%)	15.2	772^nd of 900 public elementary schools	14.2%		28.5	669^th of 906 public elementary schools	26.2%	103	11.6	13.1	31.0				26.3		19.3	11.0										$14,394	$642	$13,752
Jefferson City High	Public	9-12	609 Union	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3050	1,353	102	13.2	50.4%	830 (61.3%)	278 (20.5%)	93 (6.9%)	22 (1.6%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	126 (9.3%)	50.9	152^nd of 367 public high schools	58.6%		50.8	143^rd of 378 public high schools	62.2%	9															43.2	31.3	50.9	64.4	40.7	$16,225	$570	$15,655
Moreau Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	1410 Hough Park	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3180	324	33	9.9	64.5%	173 (53.4%)	85 (26.2%)	19 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (14.2%)	41.9	543^rd of 900 public elementary schools	39.7%		41.5	548^th of 906 public elementary schools	39.5%	5	29.0	27.8	39.2				49.0		24.0	29.8	49.1									$15,023	$1,293	$13,730
Nichols Career Center	Public	9-12	605 Union	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3100	0	18	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Elementary	Public	K-5	285 S Summit	Holts Summit	65043	Callaway County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 896-8304	367	29	12.7	51.0%	301 (82.0%)	14 (3.8%)	15 (4.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)	29 (7.9%)	46.6	502^nd of 900 public elementary schools	44.2%		46.8	483^rd of 906 public elementary schools	46.7%	19	49.9	42.8	21.2				39.2		34.4	38.6	43.2									$12,741	$244	$12,497
South Elementary	Public	K-5	707 Linden Dr	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3185	302	27	11.2	100.0%	102 (33.8%)	115 (38.1%)	15 (5.0%)	21 (7.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	45 (14.9%)	53.4	426^th of 900 public elementary schools	52.7%		44.6	512^th of 906 public elementary schools	43.5%	86	39.0	58.1	25.7						34.7		53.4									$13,450	$390	$13,060
Thorpe J. Gordon Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 Jackson	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3170	294	28	10.4	100.0%	110 (37.4%)	108 (36.7%)	30 (10.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (15.0%)	58.6	372^nd of 900 public elementary schools	58.7%		43.4	525^th of 906 public elementary schools	42.1%	153	56.8	35.6	46.9				45.0		47.6	39.2										$13,957	$504	$13,453
West Elementary	Public	K-5	100 Dix Rd	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3195	317	27	11.8	54.3%	195 (61.5%)	54 (17.0%)	24 (7.6%)	11 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.4%)	64.1	320^th of 900 public elementary schools	64.4%		61.1	339^th of 906 public elementary schools	62.6%	19	32.0	48.0	49.9				57.1		40.8		53.4									$13,777	$310	$13,467
Callaway Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	2715 State Rd Aa	Holts Summit	65043	Callaway County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 896-5051	224	22	10.3	54.5%	185 (82.6%)	6 (2.7%)	10 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.8%)	52.1	433^rd of 900 public elementary schools	51.9%		38.5	572^nd of 906 public elementary schools	36.9%	139	25.8	38.7	63.3				56.0		22.9											$15,192	$306	$14,886
Clarence Lawson Elementary	Public	K-5	1105 Fairgrounds Rd	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 659-3175	440	36	12.2	50.5%	252 (57.3%)	70 (15.9%)	40 (9.1%)	28 (6.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.1%)	84.8	119^th of 900 public elementary schools	86.8%		73	220^th of 906 public elementary schools	75.7%	101	63.3	60.7	53.7						60.3	62.0										$14,283	$420	$13,863
Prenger Family Center	Public	9-12	400 Stadium Blvd	Jefferson City	65101	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 636-5177	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Southwest Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	812 St Mary's Blvd	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3190	305	31	9.9	54.8%	171 (56.1%)	69 (22.6%)	25 (8.2%)	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.8%)								(n/a)
Pioneer Trail Elementary	Public	K-5	301 Pioneer Trail	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 632-3400	396	35	11.2	50.3%	282 (71.2%)	32 (8.1%)	35 (8.8%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	41 (10.4%)	59.4	366^th of 900 public elementary schools	59.3%		52.7	422^nd of 906 public elementary schools	53.4%	56	52.0	33.7	27.7				44.2		55.2	49.9	50.5									$13,427	$234	$13,193
Capital City High School	Public	9-12	1650 Cavalier Drive	Jefferson City	65109	Cole County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(573) 659-3286	1,314	97	13.5	42.5%	811 (61.7%)	251 (19.1%)	114 (8.7%)	32 (2.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	104 (7.9%)	47.6	174^th of 367 public high schools	52.6%		57.6	105^th of 378 public high schools	72.2%	69															47.3	26.7	48.5	49.9	43.4	$12,477	$273	$12,204

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mo Schls For The Sev Disabled	0.97 mi	35
Mo Virtual Instruction Program	2.14 mi	2
Blair Oaks R-II	4.7 mi	4	17^th
Department Of Corrections	4.89 mi	20
Osage County R-III	11.01 mi	3	43^rd

See the top MO Missouri districts

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