Jefferson Elementary School

Jefferson Elementary School is a moderately sized K-5 school in Tacoma, Washington, run under Tacoma School District. The school instructs 358 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Tacoma School District runs 66 schools in total, collectively educating 28,900 students. Jefferson Elementary School is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Jefferson Elementary School shows that the most-represented group is White (52%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder breaks down as 20% multiracial, 14% Hispanic, 7% Black, 5% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 64% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, The school employs 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.6:1. The state averages around 17.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 38% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Pierce County runs at roughly 50%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Jefferson Elementary School sits in the top 10% of Washington schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 54.7%; actual is 68.2%, +13.5 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Zooming out to the county, Pierce County reports that median household income runs about $99,564, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Jefferson Elementary School is one of 287 public schools in Pierce County (combined enrollment of about 138,462 students).

Dr. Dolores Silas High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Jefferson Elementary School. On composite proficiency, Jefferson Elementary School comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 50.0%.

Jefferson Elementary School operates from an inner-city location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 13%: 318 students in 2018 compared to 358 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 57% to 52% over that span. Class-load math has loosened: from 16.6:1 in 2018 to 18.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.