Jefferson Elementary School, Tacoma WA

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary School

Jefferson Elementary School, a regular public school in Tacoma's north end serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, presents a picture of a school whose students are performing at levels that stand out within the broader context of Pierce County. The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among districts in the county, a strong showing that suggests a consistent academic focus.

On state assessments for the most recent school year, results varied by subject and grade. In English language arts, the school's students posted rates of proficiency that grew from a solid showing in third grade to a notably high rate in fifth grade. Math results showed a wider spread, with third graders hitting a mark that matched their reading performance, while fourth grade was a softer spot. By fifth grade, math proficiency recovered to a level that was still strong. Fifth graders' performance in science was particularly high, the best showing among all tested grades and subjects.

The student body of roughly three hundred is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students identifying as two or more races and smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, Asian, Black, or American Indian or Alaska Native. Just over two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of economic need that is present but not dominant. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported in the available data; a parent may want to ask the school about these programs directly.

As a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade school, Jefferson does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not noted.

Jefferson sits in Tacoma, a mid-sized port city and the seat of Pierce County. The city's economy is anchored by health care, retail, education, and the Port of Tacoma. Housing in the zip code around Jefferson is valued above the state median, and the market is expensive relative to national benchmarks. The area has seen steady population growth, with rising property values and a push for more housing through city initiatives. The immediate neighborhood, in the Proctor district, is described as walkable with boutiques and foot traffic, though the city as a whole is car-dependent. A parent living farther away should anticipate driving.

The school is part of the Tacoma School District. No recent district-level changes around school closures or boundary adjustments were found in the publicly reported material that was searched, so that topic could not be addressed.

For a family evaluating this school, the academic record is the strongest signal. Proficiency rates that sit high relative to other Pierce County schools, especially in English language arts and science, point to a school where most students are meeting grade-level expectations. The dip in fourth-grade math is a data point to discuss with the school, but it does not define the overall pattern. The student body is economically diverse without being high-poverty, and the school's size is modest enough that a child is unlikely to be lost in the crowd. The neighborhood context is one of relative affluence and stability, with home values that reflect that. This is a school that fits a family looking for solid academic results in a neighborhood school setting within a larger urban district.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 42% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 33% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 37% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 18% · ▲ 56 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 46% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 25% · ▲ 59 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Science

Grade 580%

School 80% · District 49% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolTacoma School District, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income83%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income44%Higher-income77%33 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income79%Higher-income86%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income81%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income63%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income67%22 pp gap