Is Thomas Jefferson Elementary a good school?

Thomas Jefferson Elementary ranks 2827 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Thomas Jefferson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 493 students attended Thomas Jefferson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Jefferson Elementary?

Students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary are 67% Hispanic, 17% African American, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 4% White.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Summary:

Thomas Jefferson Elementary is a public elementary school located in Bellflower, CA, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 465 students. The school is part of the Bellflower Unified School District, which is ranked 837 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California elementary schools, with below-average performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments and the CAST Science assessment compared to the district and state averages. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American and English Language Learner students performing relatively well, while Special Education and Military Connected students perform poorly. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.8% in 2017-2018 to 35.7% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the district and state averages.

While the nearby schools in the Bellflower Unified District, such as Frank E. Woodruff Elementary and Washington Elementary, generally perform worse than Thomas Jefferson Elementary, some schools outside the district, such as Esther Lindstrom Elementary and Intensive Learning Center, outperform Thomas Jefferson Elementary in academic performance. The high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds at Thomas Jefferson Elementary may be a contributing factor to the school's academic challenges.

Detail:

Public K-6

10027 East Rose St.
Bellflower, CA 90706-6916

(562) 804-6521

District: Bellflower Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2827^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,884

Student/teacher ratio: 25.6

Number of students: 493

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

66.5%

African American:

16.8%

Asian:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Thomas Jefferson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Jefferson Elementary ranks better than 51.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.47. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (66.5%), African American (16.8%), Asian (7.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elementary is 25.6. 7 elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Thomas Jefferson Elementary employs 19.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Jefferson Elementary is $8,884, which is the 3^rd highest among 10 elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Jefferson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Jefferson Elementary 2827^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Thomas Jefferson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Bellflower Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellflower Unified 837^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Thomas Jefferson Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	22.07	3772^nd	4809	21.6%
2005	32.65	3124^th	4822	35.2%
2006	29.53	3337^th	4818	30.7%
2007	36.81	3118^th	5113	39.0%
2008	35.37	3245^th	5113	36.5%
2009	36.17	3295^th	5193	36.5%
2010	36.92	3361^st	5314	36.8%
2011	31.78	3859^th	5377	28.2%
2012	21.03	4581^st	5390	15.0%
2013	30.78	3979^th	5530	28.0%
2015	32.06	3540^th	5611	36.9%
2016	30.03	3766^th	5614	32.9%
2017	35.43	3412^th	5692	40.1%
2018	36.27	3391^st	5662	40.1%
2019	39.25	3233^rd	5789	44.2%
2022	36.59	3330^th	5883	43.4%
2023	40.43	3099^th	5874	47.2%
2024	45.47	2827^th	5862	51.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.86	1514^th	3246	53.4%
2019	66.79	619^th	3275	81.1%
2022	69.87	487^th	3311	85.3%
2023	85.32	194^th	3250	94.0%
2024	55.72	893^rd	3160	71.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.60	1228^th	2420	49.3%
2024	36.14	1497^th	2634	43.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.28	2282^nd	5084	55.1%
2019	50.94	2341^st	5173	54.7%
2022	51.16	2209^th	5264	58.0%
2023	55.72	2002^nd	5374	62.7%
2024	53.73	2132^nd	5511	61.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.78	3295^th	5413	39.1%
2019	38.16	3223^rd	5492	41.3%
2022	40.72	2957^th	5635	47.5%
2023	42.86	2824^th	5617	49.7%
2024	42.62	2884^th	5605	48.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.11	799^th	2128	62.5%
2019	53.36	889^th	2585	65.6%
2022	30.48	1465^th	2227	34.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.61	75^th	118	36.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.20	3329^th	5431	38.7%
2019	40.07	3035^th	5510	44.9%
2022	33.75	3481^st	5663	38.5%
2023	38.28	3172^nd	5650	43.9%
2024	47.52	2598^th	5636	53.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	45.67	340^th	700	51.4%
2019	48.74	331^st	747	55.7%
2023	52.02	263^rd	662	60.3%
2024	75.43	99^th	593	83.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.68	2422^nd	4830	49.9%
2019	56.22	1893^rd	4963	61.9%
2022	50.77	2157^th	5084	57.6%
2023	58.81	1733^rd	5098	66.0%
2024	54.91	1953^rd	5102	61.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Thomas Jefferson Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	435	28	39	170	1	n/a	n/a	0	673
1989	419	29	41	182	3	n/a	n/a	0	674
1990	416	39	47	200	2	n/a	n/a	0	704
1991	389	35	47	194	2	n/a	n/a	0	667
1992	360	57	33	188	1	n/a	n/a	0	639
1993	308	87	50	192	3	n/a	n/a	0	640
1994	279	121	63	208	4	n/a	n/a	0	675
1995	290	204	68	250	4	n/a	n/a	0	816
1996	290	204	68	250	4	n/a	n/a	0	816
1997	288	188	79	288	2	n/a	n/a	0	845
1998	256	197	91	292	1	n/a	n/a	0	837
1999	221	183	86	296	12	n/a	n/a	0	798
2000	197	195	87	345	10	n/a	n/a	0	834
2001	187	181	82	341	13	n/a	n/a	2	806
2002	144	173	85	391	7	n/a	n/a	0	800
2003	144	173	85	391	7	n/a	n/a	0	800
2004	135	153	82	381	3	n/a	n/a	30	784
2005	105	143	67	399	3	n/a	n/a	34	751
2006	89	133	70	408	1	n/a	n/a	35	736
2007	82	115	60	371	1	n/a	n/a	24	653
2008	67	102	69	387	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	625
2009	66	120	53	422	2	20	31	0	714
2010	54	114	44	432	1	20	28	0	693
2011	57	116	37	473	3	17	22	0	725
2012	53	116	42	456	2	16	15	0	700
2013	45	113	40	442	2	16	17	0	675
2014	40	100	42	430	2	10	15	0	639
2015	40	112	43	418	2	11	21	0	647
2016	40	110	42	387	2	11	15	0	607
2017	42	92	45	360	1	9	7	0	556
2018	37	84	50	371	1	9	5	0	557
2019	23	79	46	349	1	8	9	0	515
2020	20	88	45	333	0	10	18	0	514
2021	19	71	38	304	0	9	22	0	463
2022	18	68	42	295	0	7	17	0	447
2023	28	75	42	299	1	4	16	0	465
2024	20	83	35	328	1	4	22	0	493

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thomas Jefferson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	673	25.6	26.2	n/a
1989	674	24.5	27.5	n/a
1990	704	25.5	27.6	n/a
1991	667	24.8	26.8	n/a
1992	639	25.2	25.3	36.5
1993	640	24.3	26.3	42.5
1994	675	25.5	26.5	58.1
1995	816	30.8	26.5	71.4
1996	816	30.8	26.5	71.4
1997	845	36.8	23.0	74.4
1998	837	38.4	21.8	74.3
1999	798	36.4	21.9	75.9
2000	834	39.5	21.1	75.1
2001	806	39.8	20.3	71.4
2002	800	38.0	21.1	76.5
2003	800	38.0	21.1	76.5
2004	784	38.0	20.6	81.6
2005	751	37.0	20.3	79.8
2006	736	35.0	21.0	82
2007	653	31.6	20.7	81.6
2008	625	35.0	17.9	83.4
2009	714	33.0	19.8	81.5
2010	693	33.0	21.0	86.6
2011	725	n/a	n/a	89.1
2012	700	24.0	29.1	85.3
2013	675	23.0	29.3	75.3
2014	639	23.0	27.7	86.4
2015	647	26.0	24.8	89.3
2016	607	25.0	24.2	86.7
2017	556	24.0	23.1	87.9
2018	557	23.0	24.2	86.2
2019	515	21.0	24.5	82.5
2020	514	n/a	n/a	83.1
2021	463	19.2	24.0	82.9
2022	447	18.0	24.8	77.4
2023	465	19.5	23.7	82.2
2024	493	19.2	25.6	89.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Thomas Jefferson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	673	25.6	26.2	n/a
1989	674	24.5	27.5	n/a
1990	704	25.5	27.6	n/a
1991	667	24.8	26.8	n/a
1992	639	25.2	25.3	36.5
1993	640	24.3	26.3	42.5
1994	675	25.5	26.5	58.1
1995	816	30.8	26.5	71.4
1996	816	30.8	26.5	71.4
1997	845	36.8	23.0	74.4
1998	837	38.4	21.8	74.3
1999	798	36.4	21.9	75.9
2000	834	39.5	21.1	75.1
2001	806	39.8	20.3	71.4
2002	800	38.0	21.1	76.5
2003	800	38.0	21.1	76.5
2004	784	38.0	20.6	81.6
2005	751	37.0	20.3	79.8
2006	736	35.0	21.0	82
2007	653	31.6	20.7	81.6
2008	625	35.0	17.9	83.4
2009	714	33.0	19.8	81.5
2010	693	33.0	21.0	86.6
2011	725	n/a	n/a	89.1
2012	700	24.0	29.1	85.3
2013	675	23.0	29.3	75.3
2014	639	23.0	27.7	86.4
2015	647	26.0	24.8	89.3
2016	607	25.0	24.2	86.7
2017	556	24.0	23.1	87.9
2018	557	23.0	24.2	86.2
2019	515	21.0	24.5	82.5
2020	514	n/a	n/a	83.1
2021	463	19.2	24.0	82.9
2022	447	18.0	24.8	77.4
2023	465	19.5	23.7	82.2
2024	493	19.2	25.6	89.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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