The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Thomas Jefferson Elementary sits on East Rose Street in Bellflower, a densely populated working-class suburb in the southeast corner of Los Angeles County. The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade under Bellflower Unified School District, and it draws from neighborhoods built largely in the postwar decades when the city transitioned from dairy farms and orchards into a residential community of midcentury ranch homes. Most Bellflower residents rent rather than own, and the local housing market runs well above the California statewide median, making ownership a substantial financial stretch for most families in the area.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students making up a meaningful share and smaller groups of Asian, white, and multiracial students enrolled as well. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing Thomas Jefferson among the higher-need schools by this measure. English learner and IEP counts were not available in the data provided, which is worth noting given the district-level context described below.
On California's CAASPP assessments for the most recent school year, ELA proficiency across the school's tested grades ranged from around two-fifths of third graders to just over half of fifth graders, with fourth and sixth grades landing in between. The pattern in math is more concerning: third grade was the strongest, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency, and fourth and fifth grades fell noticeably lower. Sixth grade was modestly higher than fourth and fifth but still well below half. Science, tested at fifth grade via the CAST, showed roughly one in four students reaching proficiency. Placed against districts in Los Angeles County, Thomas Jefferson's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of that group, which includes more than 400 districts. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to assess whether performance is improving, flat, or declining. Parents who want to understand the school's academic direction would benefit from asking the school directly about instructional priorities and what support is in place for students who are not yet proficient.
One district-level item is important context here. A June 2022 California State Auditor report found that Bellflower Unified had accumulated substantial unassigned reserves while, publicly reported findings state, failing to deliver legally required services to students with disabilities and misrepresenting its financial situation to its board. The state imposed corrective deadlines, and by late 2023 the district reported adopting new financial transparency practices. For families of students with IEPs or who may need special education evaluations, this history is worth raising directly with school and district staff. The data provided does not tell us what the current state of special education services looks like at Thomas Jefferson specifically.
On the support side, Bellflower Unified has expanded its free Expanded Learning Program to all elementary schools. It runs before school, after school until early evening, and on select non-school days, providing daily meals and homework help at no cost. For working families, this is a real and concrete benefit. The district also publicly distributes free, unlimited Metro bus and rail passes to students through a GoPass program, which removes a transportation cost entirely for families who rely on transit.
Bellflower itself is undergoing downtown redevelopment, with mixed-use construction along Bellflower Boulevard and planning tied to an anticipated light rail corridor stop. Commercial corridors are walkable in the downtown core, though the broader city is car-dependent. Parks are distributed through the residential fabric, and a bike trail connects to the regional San Gabriel River Trail.
The graduation rate does not apply here because Thomas Jefferson serves only through sixth grade. Program-specific information for this campus was not included in the data provided, so details about any enrichment, arts, or language offerings at the school level were not available.
See more original research from School Decision →