The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem.
Jefferson Elementary is a regular public school in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, serving children from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of several elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau 63 school district. The school is located on South Minnesota Street in a residential area of the city.
Academically, the results from the Missouri Assessment Program place Jefferson well below typical performance levels in the region. In both math and English language arts, roughly between one-sixth and one-quarter of tested students met the state’s proficiency standard. This places the school near the bottom of the five districts in Cape Girardeau County when looking at overall proficiency across tested grades and subjects. Scores were slightly higher in reading than in math, but the gap between Jefferson and the middle of the county’s districts is wide. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed due to a very small number of test-takers, so no reliable conclusion can be drawn there. A parent reviewing this data would want to ask the school what instructional supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
Jefferson’s enrollment is modest for an elementary school, with a notably large share of students from Black backgrounds, followed by White students and a substantial group identifying as two or more races. Hispanic and other groups make up smaller shares. Every single student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of household income that is often linked to additional school funding through federal programs. In practical terms, this means the entire student body faces economic disadvantage, and the school likely receives Title I resources to support learning. The school does not appear to have a magnet or charter designation; it is a regular neighborhood school.
Cape Girardeau itself is a regional hub in southeastern Missouri, home to two major hospitals, Southeast Missouri State University, and a mix of manufacturing and retail employers. The city’s population grows during the day as people commute in for work and services. Housing costs in the ZIP code are modest relative to the state, and the area is described by the city as having a reasonable cost of living and a small-town feel. The school district recently searched for any major changes such as boundary adjustments or curriculum shifts but found none publicly reported, so it appears to be operating in a stable administrative setting.
Jefferson is not a school that will appeal to families who are looking for high test scores or a student body with a wide mix of economic backgrounds. Its proficiency rates are low even when compared only with other Cape Girardeau County districts. For a parent whose priority is a school that serves a high-poverty population, offers free meals to all students, and is part of a stable district in an affordable community, this could be a familiar fit. But the academic data is clear: the typical student at Jefferson is not reaching grade-level standards, and anyone considering this school would be wise to ask directly about intervention programs, reading and math support, and how the school measures growth over time. The district does not appear to have published a recent strategic plan or curriculum overhaul, so the burden is on the school itself to explain its approach.
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