Thomas Jefferson Middle

Summary:

Thomas Jefferson Middle is a public middle school in Indio, California, serving 538 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District, which is ranked 1011 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas Jefferson Middle faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 20.2% to 44.9% in recent years, far exceeding the rates at nearby schools like Palm Desert Charter Middle (22.8%) and La Quinta Middle (37.6%). The school's academic performance, as measured by standardized tests, is also significantly lower than state and district averages, with only 21.83% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and just 5.29% proficient or better in math, compared to 39.07% and 26.17% for the district, respectively.

Contributing to the school's challenges is its high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 92.57% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the nearby schools. Over the past decade, Thomas Jefferson Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of California middle schools, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 83-089 Highway 111
       Indio, CA  92201-5643


(760) 863-3660

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2584th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,030 Help


Students who attend Thomas Jefferson Middle usually attend:

High:    Indio High

Feeder schools for Thomas Jefferson Middle:

Elementary:    Dr. Reynaldo J. Carreon Junior Academy
    Martin Van Buren Elementary
    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  22.4 Help
Number of students:  535

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
89.7%
Two or more races:
4.7%
White:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thomas Jefferson Middle ranks worse than 93.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.97. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (89.7%), two or more races (4.7%), White (3.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 91.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Middle is 22.4, which is the 3rd best among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Thomas Jefferson Middle employs 23.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Jefferson Middle is $8,030. 3 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Jefferson Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Jefferson Middle 2584th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Thomas Jefferson Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Desert Sands Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sands Unified 1011th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Thomas Jefferson Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 11.54 1644th 1769 7.1%
2005 12.21 1629th 1777 8.3%
2006 12.90 1640th 1804 9.1%
2007 17.47 1715th 1999 14.2%
2008 22.11 1629th 2005 18.8%
2009 15.13 1835th 2063 11.1%
2010 19.02 1877th 2179 13.9%
2011 16.00 1975th 2236 11.7%
2012 19.54 1923rd 2259 14.9%
2013 30.70 1687th 2379 29.1%
2015 14.55 2207th 2477 10.9%
2016 13.97 2233rd 2497 10.6%
2017 12.62 2305th 2508 8.1%
2018 11.80 2296th 2480 7.4%
2019 12.40 2475th 2715 8.8%
2022 11.48 2587th 2740 5.6%
2023 11.78 2634th 2802 6.0%
2024 11.97 2584th 2777 6.9%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.10 1202nd 1364 11.9%
2019 31.66 1034th 1442 28.3%
2022 24.60 1480th 1540 3.9%
2023 26.89 1410th 1529 7.8%
2024 25.02 1430th 1477 3.2%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 19.49 1464th 1538 4.8%
2024 21.89 1391st 1550 10.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.37 2009th 2230 9.9%
2019 14.79 2159th 2369 8.9%
2022 15.38 2265th 2458 7.9%
2023 14.15 2373rd 2549 6.9%
2024 14.76 2356th 2575 8.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 14.59 380th 394 3.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.54 2081st 2262 8.0%
2019 14.26 2137th 2380 10.2%
2022 13.10 2339th 2509 6.8%
2023 11.81 2421st 2547 4.9%
2024 12.86 2367th 2546 7.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.11 979th 1369 28.5%
2019 22.66 1311th 1491 12.1%
2022 18.82 1473rd 1531 3.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.83 2155th 2273 5.2%
2019 10.62 2284th 2407 5.1%
2022 10.64 2441st 2527 3.4%
2023 12.55 2393rd 2558 6.5%
2024 11.43 2424th 2547 4.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Jefferson Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.88 1871st 2072 9.7%
2019 16.59 1988th 2213 10.2%
2022 13.35 2230th 2359 5.5%
2023 14.07 2230th 2391 6.7%
2024 14.61 2185th 2383 8.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle 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.

Thomas Jefferson Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Thomas Jefferson Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 396 50 15 776 9 n/a n/a 0 1246
1989 278 38 15 740 8 n/a n/a 0 1079
1990 267 46 16 843 9 n/a n/a 0 1181
1991 269 47 20 929 9 n/a n/a 0 1274
1992 129 34 10 660 12 n/a n/a 0 845
1993 65 17 5 534 3 n/a n/a 0 624
1994 43 26 3 514 3 n/a n/a 0 589
1995 53 20 1 512 1 n/a n/a 0 587
1996 53 20 1 512 1 n/a n/a 0 587
1997 60 21 5 538 6 n/a n/a 0 630
1998 62 20 5 601 2 n/a n/a 0 690
1999 24 20 1 571 2 n/a n/a 20 638
2000 41 20 1 610 0 n/a n/a 0 672
2001 15 24 5 597 0 n/a n/a 0 641
2002 13 24 5 665 4 n/a n/a 1 712
2003 13 24 5 665 4 n/a n/a 1 712
2004 16 18 2 679 0 n/a n/a 11 726
2005 15 16 2 681 2 n/a n/a 11 727
2006 20 19 4 683 2 n/a n/a 15 743
2007 23 20 4 785 1 n/a n/a 10 843
2008 17 18 6 782 2 n/a n/a 0 825
2009 11 17 5 806 0 1 6 0 846
2010 5 12 7 759 1 0 1 0 785
2011 8 12 6 678 3 0 0 0 707
2012 8 11 4 584 2 0 3 0 612
2013 9 8 1 606 3 0 2 0 629
2014 11 9 4 574 1 0 1 0 600
2015 11 4 5 594 0 0 1 0 615
2016 15 2 6 557 1 0 0 0 581
2017 19 5 3 596 0 0 3 0 626
2018 25 5 5 613 0 0 5 0 653
2019 16 4 6 637 1 0 11 0 675
2020 13 4 6 576 2 0 14 0 615
2021 14 7 4 532 3 0 11 0 571
2022 16 4 6 460 1 0 14 0 501
2023 16 4 7 497 1 0 13 0 538
2024 19 3 8 480 0 0 25 0 535

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 Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1246 53.2 23.4 n/a
1989 1079 47.5 22.7 n/a
1990 1181 51.0 23.1 n/a
1991 1274 54.0 23.5 n/a
1992 845 54.9 15.3 45
1993 624 27.0 23.1 76.8
1994 589 25.9 22.7 75.7
1995 587 26.6 22.1 93.2
1996 587 26.6 22.1 93.2
1997 630 24.2 26.0 86.8
1998 690 28.3 24.4 93.6
1999 638 27.7 23.0 98.1
2000 672 29.0 23.2 86.5
2001 641 28.0 22.9 95
2002 712 37.2 19.1 99.7
2003 712 37.2 19.1 99.7
2004 726 32.2 22.5 92
2005 727 34.2 21.3 95.9
2006 743 44.1 16.8 82.1
2007 843 35.9 23.5 82.2
2008 825 43.7 18.9 91.6
2009 846 42.2 18.3 90
2010 785 40.0 19.6 90.8
2011 707 n/a n/a 91.9
2012 612 32.0 19.1 n/a
2013 629 25.7 24.4 96.8
2014 600 25.6 23.3 90.2
2015 615 25.0 24.6 96.9
2016 581 26.0 22.3 95.7
2017 626 26.2 23.8 94.9
2018 653 25.3 25.8 94.9
2019 675 26.3 25.6 94.8
2020 615 n/a n/a 98.4
2021 571 23.0 24.8 98.9
2022 501 21.0 23.8 98.4
2023 538 21.8 24.6 92.6
2024 535 23.8 22.4 91.6

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 Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1246 53.2 23.4 n/a
1989 1079 47.5 22.7 n/a
1990 1181 51.0 23.1 n/a
1991 1274 54.0 23.5 n/a
1992 845 54.9 15.3 45
1993 624 27.0 23.1 76.8
1994 589 25.9 22.7 75.7
1995 587 26.6 22.1 93.2
1996 587 26.6 22.1 93.2
1997 630 24.2 26.0 86.8
1998 690 28.3 24.4 93.6
1999 638 27.7 23.0 98.1
2000 672 29.0 23.2 86.5
2001 641 28.0 22.9 95
2002 712 37.2 19.1 99.7
2003 712 37.2 19.1 99.7
2004 726 32.2 22.5 92
2005 727 34.2 21.3 95.9
2006 743 44.1 16.8 82.1
2007 843 35.9 23.5 82.2
2008 825 43.7 18.9 91.6
2009 846 42.2 18.3 90
2010 785 40.0 19.6 90.8
2011 707 n/a n/a 91.9
2012 612 32.0 19.1 n/a
2013 629 25.7 24.4 96.8
2014 600 25.6 23.3 90.2
2015 615 25.0 24.6 96.9
2016 581 26.0 22.3 95.7
2017 626 26.2 23.8 94.9
2018 653 25.3 25.8 94.9
2019 675 26.3 25.6 94.8
2020 615 n/a n/a 98.4
2021 571 23.0 24.8 98.9
2022 501 21.0 23.8 98.4
2023 538 21.8 24.6 92.6
2024 535 23.8 22.4 91.6

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thomas Jefferson Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,030

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Jefferson Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 2475th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2634th of 2802 Middle schools
 2.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Thomas Jefferson Middle)20.321.6
 1.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)42.632.6
 9.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.544.2
 4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson Middle)13.26.1
 7.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)32.523.5
 9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (California)38.533.2
 5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Thomas Jefferson Middle)19.923.2
 3.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)46.241.4
 4.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson Middle)10.68.6
 2.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)29.424
 5.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Thomas Jefferson Middle)23.913.1
 10.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)46.235.7
 10.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Jefferson Middle)10.63
 7.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)28.221.4
 6.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Thomas Jefferson Middle)13.26.5
 6.7%
   8th Grade Science (Desert Sands Unified)22.822.7
 0.1%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students675538
 20.3%
African American44
American Indian11
Asian67
 16.7%
Hispanic637497
 22%
Pacific Islander00
White1616
Two or More Races1113
 18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients94.8%92.6%
 2.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Jefferson Middle

Students at Thomas Jefferson Middle are 90% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% White, 1% Asian.

Thomas Jefferson Middle ranks in the bottom 6.9% of California middle schools.

Students who attend Thomas Jefferson Middle usually go on to attend Indio High

In the 2023-24 school year, 535 students attended Thomas Jefferson Middle.


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





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