The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Chehalem Elementary School
Chehalem Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Beaverton, a mid-sized city in the Tualatin Valley that is part of the Portland metropolitan area. The school is a regular public elementary within the Beaverton School District, a large system that covers a substantial geographic area beyond the city limits itself.
The student body is diverse. Slightly under half of the students are white, with a large Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, and other backgrounds. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this a school where economic disadvantage touches most families. Data on students with disabilities or English learner status was not available in the source materials, so a parent who wants to understand those supports should follow up directly with the school.
On state assessments in the 2024-2025 school year, Chehalem’s results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency rose across grade levels, from a modest showing in third grade to just over half in fifth grade. In math, the pattern was different: third and fourth grade proficiency was below third, with the share meeting the bar at between a quarter and under a third in those early grades, though fifth grade math was stronger. Fifth grade science proficiency landed in a similar range to math. Considered across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places above the midpoint relative to districts in Washington County. That is a relative strength in this local context, but the raw proficiency levels themselves are moderate, and a parent may want to look into what academic interventions or enrichment the school provides, especially in the earlier elementary grades.
Because Chehalem serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The school does not have a charter or magnet designation, and its Title I status was not listed in the available records.
Beaverton itself is a significant economic center in Washington County, part of the region known as the Silicon Forest that hosts technology companies and the global headquarters of Nike. The city has encouraged transit-oriented development around its seven MAX Light Rail stations, with a downtown core that includes a farmer’s market, a food cart pod, a performing arts center, and the city library. Much of the residential character outside that core is suburban and car-dependent. The area has seen steady growth and recent development concentrated near transit corridors, including a mixed-use project called The Round.
For housing, the typical home values and rents in the school’s zip code are above the national median, and both have seen a modest softening in the most recent year. The cost of buying a home is steep relative to local incomes, while rents are more manageable as a share of typical household earnings. This context matters for families considering the area: Chehalem serves a neighborhood where many families are renters or face housing cost pressure, which aligns with the high share of students qualifying for meal assistance.
The Beaverton School District recently opened a new middle school in 2021, which shifted feeder patterns for families, including those who may send children from Chehalem to their next school. That change is a practical consideration for parents planning the transition beyond fifth grade.
Chehalem Elementary presents as a school in a community with economic diversity and a moderate academic profile that compares favorably within its county. Families drawn to Beaverton’s mix of suburban residential areas and a transit-connected downtown will find a school that serves a broad cross-section of the city’s population. The absence of some key data points, such as special education and English learner counts, means that a thorough evaluation of support services will require a conversation with the school itself.
See more original research from School Decision →