The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Math. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Butte Falls Sd 91
Butte Falls SD 91 is a small, rural district in southern Oregon’s Jackson County that serves a single school, Butte Falls Charter School, from prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The district’s enrollment is modest, and the student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and even smaller numbers of other racial groups. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor was the share of students with disabilities or English learners; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports. The district also sits in a part of the county where housing values are below the statewide benchmark, though they have been climbing modestly. The community is rural and thin on publicly reported recent changes; a search turned up no lasting parent-relevant developments in district operations or leadership.
Academically, the picture is mixed, and the small size of cohorts means results must be read with caution. On Oregon’s Smarter Balanced assessments in math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied widely by grade. One grade level showed a proficiency rate roughly in line with the district’s own average, while another was notably lower; several grades had results suppressed because the number of students tested was too small to report. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with some grades showing modest proficiency and others where the rate was very low. Eighth-grade science proficiency was also low. Overall, the district’s combined proficiency across all tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile among Jackson County’s districts. The data tells a story of a small school where individual student performance can swing the district’s numbers noticeably, and where the majority of students are not yet meeting state proficiency benchmarks. A parent considering this district should want a frank conversation with the school about what academic support and intervention looks like for students who are below grade level.
The district has no reported graduation rate in the data; this absence is not explained by the grade band (the district does serve high school), so it may reflect suppression due to very small cohort size. A parent should ask the school for its graduation and postsecondary plans for seniors. One area worth noting is chronic absenteeism: the district’s rate was high relative to most Jackson County districts, sitting below the midpoint in a county where absenteeism is already a challenge across many schools. That figure suggests a substantial share of students are missing enough school to affect learning, and it is a metric to explore with school leadership.
On the positive side, the district’s per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among Jackson County’s districts. For a small rural school, that level of resourcing can mean smaller class sizes and more individualized attention, which is a potential advantage. The district is also a charter school, which may bring a different governance model and flexibility in programming. However, the data provided does not specify the school’s charter focus, mission, or any unique programs. The absence of that information is a gap; a family would need to check the school’s website or visit to learn about course offerings, electives, career and technical education options, or any dual-credit arrangements.
For housing, the district’s weighted home value is somewhat below Oregon’s statewide median, with the largest share of homes concentrated in the Eagle Point area and a smaller portion in Butte Falls itself. That relative affordability compared to the rest of the state may be a draw for families looking for a lower-cost entry into Jackson County, but it also reflects the area’s remote, less developed character. The district has no locale designation in the data, but by all evidence it serves a sparsely populated, forested part of the county.
In short, Butte Falls SD 91 is a very small, rural charter district with high per-pupil spending but low overall test performance, a notable chronic absenteeism problem, and a graduation rate that is not reported. It fits a family that values a close-knit, small-school setting and is prepared to work closely with the school on academic progress. The missing pieces—support for special populations, graduation outcomes, specific programs—mean that a thorough visit and direct inquiry with the school are essential before deciding.
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