Jefferson Elem School, Belleville IL

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem School

Jefferson Elementary serves a racially balanced enrollment of about half Black and half white students, with a modest share of multiracial and Hispanic students, spanning prekindergarten through sixth grade in Belleville, a St. Clair County seat and southeastern St. Louis suburb. The school sits in a working residential area near downtown's historic district, where housing values and rents have moved modestly upward in the past year and the market shows signs of modest activity.

The academic picture shows proficiency that lags behind the median among St. Clair County districts. State test results from the most recent year show proficiency rates that decline as grades advance. In mathematics, third grade achieved proficiency just below one in four students, while fourth grade moved slightly higher. By fifth grade the rate dropped to below one in five, and sixth grade showed proficiency below one in seven. In English language arts, the pattern differs: third grade was similar to math at just above one in five, but fourth grade improved to near half of students, fifth grade reached half, and sixth grade climbed to about half as well. Science testing was available only for fifth grade, where about one in three students showed proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county, a positioning that a parent may want to discuss with school staff to understand what supports and interventions are in place.

Students participate in state testing at high rates, with participation near or above nine in ten across grades and subjects, suggesting the school is successfully bringing students to the assessment. The shift in Illinois's assessment cut scores in recent years makes direct year-to-year comparison difficult, so the school's trajectory over time is not fully clear from this snapshot.

Enrollment is small, at around a figure across grades. Free or reduced price lunch eligibility data was not available, so we cannot report the share of economically disadvantaged students. English learner and special education enrollment counts were similarly not reported. Class sizes vary by grade, reflecting the small school's structure.

The district context matters here. Belleville School District 118 has benefited from a substantial recent surge in assessed property values, publicly reported as the largest in nearly two decades, which the district is using to maintain revenue while reducing tax rates. This creates a more stable financial outlook for families considering the district, though the academic performance data suggests the school is working with students who face academic headwinds.

The school's location in a city with a preserved historic downtown, three MetroLink stations connecting to St. Louis, and major employers anchored in healthcare, education, and defense creates a stable community environment. Housing in the area remains affordable compared to national benchmarks.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 36% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 22% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 30% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 32% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 50% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 53% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 55% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 34%

▼ 2 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolBelleville SD 118, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.