JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL operates as an average-sized junior high in COLUMBIA, Missouri, one of the schools within COLUMBIA 93. Current enrollment sits at 593 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 29% bigger than the state mean of about 461.

Across the 34 schools in COLUMBIA 93 (18,640 students total), JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL logs that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school shows 18% Black, 11% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian. By comparison, Boone County as a whole is about 77% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 51 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.7:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 32% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL sits in the top 10% of Missouri schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 50.7%; actual is 77.4%, +26.7 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, Boone County reports that the typical household earns roughly $72,758 per year, roughly 52% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of 58 public schools in Boone County (combined enrollment of about 24,547 students).

The closest other public school is FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 63.7%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 4%: 617 students in 2018 compared to 593 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 65% to 61%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 14.3:1 in 2018 to 11.7:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.