Harrisburg Middle School, Harrisburg OR

Original Research by School Decision on Harrisburg Middle School

Harrisburg Middle School is a regular public school serving grades five through eight in the small city of Harrisburg, Oregon, in Linn County. It is part of the Harrisburg SD 7J district. The school is located on South 6th Street, separate from the downtown commercial spine along Smith Street where City Hall, the library, and the museum are gathered. The building sits within a compact town that has grown rapidly in recent decades and describes itself as one of the fastest growing small communities in the southern Willamette Valley, situated amid rye grass seed farmland with a diversified industrial base and close access to larger cities such as Eugene, Albany, and Corvallis.

State assessment results from the 2024–2025 school year are the only testing data available for this school, and they show proficiency rates that are lower than most districts in Linn County. In math, proficiency across all tested grades was below a quarter of students. In English language arts, proficiency was below a third. In science, where testing occurs only in grades five and eight, proficiency was also below a fifth of students. Across all subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it among the lowest in the county relative to other districts in Linn County. Because only one year of data is reported, there is no trend to show whether this is recent or long-standing. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about instructional supports and any recent changes intended to improve outcomes.

Enrollment is modest, with about 260 students across four grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population of roughly one in seven students and a small share of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial majority of students come from households with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. No data is available on the share of students receiving special education services or those who are English learners, so a parent should ask the school about those populations if relevant.

The surrounding housing market reflects the area’s growth. Home values in the Harrisburg zip code have risen modestly in recent years and are above the national median but below the state median. Rents compared to incomes suggest that owning a home may be financially challenging relative to renting. The town itself has a small downtown, a riverfront park that hosts community events, and a strong agricultural and industrial employment base. No local public transit system is mentioned in the available information, so families likely rely on personal vehicles.

The district brief turned up no recent bond measures, curriculum changes, or property tax shifts that would meet the bar for lasting parent impact, so no major district-level changes to report. Harrisburg Middle School stands as a school with clear areas of concern in academic performance, particularly relative to other Linn County districts. For families who value a small-town setting and are willing to engage closely with the school to understand and support student learning, it may be a viable option, but the proficiency data warrants a careful look.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolHarrisburg SD 7J, 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.