The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ocean Crest Elementary School
Ocean Crest Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Bandon, a small coastal city at the mouth of the Coquille River. It is a regular public school in the Bandon School District 54, and it is the only elementary school in the district, meaning all of Bandon’s youngest students attend here. With an enrollment that is relatively small for a public school, the building has a contained, neighborhood feel. The population is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and small numbers of students who identify as multiracial, Native American, Asian, Black, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A notable share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals that a meaningful portion of families in this coastal community face economic strain.
Bandon itself has an economy that has shifted from timber dependence to a mix of tourism, cranberry farming, fishing, and small manufacturing. The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is the largest employer, and the Old Town district along the riverfront draws visitors with shops and restaurants. The city has grown modestly in recent decades, attracting retirees and remote workers. Housing values here sit close to the statewide benchmark, and the national median home price is lower, meaning Bandon’s market is not cheap relative to the rest of the country. The district passed a bond a few years ago for capital improvements across all three schools, the first major renovation since the original construction, so families can expect that the facilities at Ocean Crest have seen recent investment.
On state assessments, which Oregon administers to third and fourth graders, the school’s results are mixed. In third grade, the proficiency rate in English language arts is below most of its tested peers, and the math rate for third grade follows a similar pattern. By fourth grade, however, the numbers rise sharply. Fourth graders hit a proficiency rate in English language arts that is solidly above the midpoint, and in math the fourth-grade rate is even higher. This grade-level jump is unusual and worth noting. It may reflect the particular cohort of students, a change in instructional approach between grades, or something else a parent may want to ask the school about directly. Looking at the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Ocean Crest places in the top quartile when compared to other schools in Coos County. That position is driven largely by the stronger fourth-grade performance.
Because the school serves only kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and state testing applies only to the grades tested. Data on chronic absenteeism, special education identification, and English learner status were not available in the records reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students with disabilities or language needs.
The school’s location within Bandon is not specified in the available material, but the city itself is compact. The Old Town district and the beaches are the main pedestrian draws, and for most daily trips residents rely on cars. The nearest interstate is a long drive east. The district bond work means that the building has undergone a major refresh, something families moving into the area may factor in when comparing the school to older facilities in other small towns.
Ocean Crest is the kind of school where a family gets the full span of primary grades in one building before students move on to Bandon’s middle school. The academic picture is uneven across the tested years, with fourth grade clearly the stronger showing, and the school’s overall standing among county peers is favorable. For a family considering Bandon, this school represents the entry point for the community’s children, set in a town with a working waterfront, a tourism-driven economy, and a modest but steady growth pattern.
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