The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in Math. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem.
Jefferson Elementary is a regular public school in the Normandy Schools Collaborative, serving students from first through eighth grade. The school sits within St. Louis County, though its mailing address carries a St. Louis city designation. The immediate housing market in the surrounding zip code is among the more affordable in the broader county, with home values that run well below county median and rents that consume a manageable share of local income. The county as a whole has seen a slight softening in median listing prices over the past year, and the inventory of homes for sale has grown, which may matter to a family considering a move into the attendance area.
The student body is moderate in size for the grades it covers, though enrollment data shows that while the school lists grades one through eight, it currently has no students in the seventh or eighth grades, so the effective range appears to be first through sixth grade. The demographic profile is one of deep racial and economic concentration. An overwhelming share of students are Black, with a small Hispanic presence, and smaller numbers of students who are American Indian or of two or more races. Every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a clear signal that this is a high-poverty school serving a community with very limited household resources.
On state assessments, the picture is stark. Across the tested grades, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are very low, often in the single digits. The strongest grade-level result is just under a sixth of students scoring proficient in fourth-grade math. In every other subject and grade the share is far smaller, and for fourth-grade ELA the result is suppressed, meaning the number of students who scored proficient was too small to report publicly. When placed against the other school districts in St. Louis County, Jefferson’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school will want to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place and how the school approaches foundational skill building, as the data raises clear questions about grade-level readiness.
The district that runs Jefferson, Normandy Schools Collaborative, has recently made a significant capital investment. A bond measure passed in 2021 is funding a comprehensive renovation of Normandy High School, including a new cafeteria, culinary arts suite, and improved security, and the district has stated it is realigning curriculum to better connect to workforce needs and college readiness. These are district-wide priorities, and it is not clear from available data how far those investments have reached into the elementary and middle grades or what specific programs are offered at Jefferson. Information about course access, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism is absent from the data, so a parent would need to follow up directly with the school to learn about those dimensions of daily experience.
For a family weighing this school, the context matters. The student peer environment is shaped by concentrated poverty and near-total racial homogeneity, which may be a deciding factor for some families and a neutral characteristic for others. The academic outcomes are the weakest in the county, and any serious consideration of Jefferson should involve a conversation with the school about what targeted supports, tutoring, or intervention programs are available. The district’s recent facility investments and stated curriculum work suggest an institution that is trying to turn around, but the test results reflect a long way to go. A parent who is looking for a school that serves a high-needs population and is actively working to improve may find a fit here, but the data alone cannot answer how the classroom experience actually feels day to day. That would require a visit and direct questions.
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