Shasta Middle School, Eugene OR - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Shasta Middle School

Shasta Middle School sits in west Eugene as part of the Bethel School District, serving sixth through eighth graders in a regular public school setting. The school occupies a residential part of the city, within a district that covers a stretch of Eugene separate from the larger Eugene School District 4J. Bethel has its own identity: a district that recently passed a major capital bond for safety and facility upgrades, adopted new literacy and math curricula across elementary and middle grades in the past few years, and is still recovering from a narrow levy failure in 2020 that led to budget cuts. For a parent considering Shasta, the district context matters—Bethel is investing in its buildings and instructional materials, but the financial history suggests a community that has had to make trade-offs.

The student body is modest in size for a middle school and predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic enrollment and smaller shares of students who are multiracial, Black, Native American, or Asian. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a higher-poverty range compared to many in the area. That economic context is relevant because poverty rates often correlate strongly with academic outcomes, and Shasta’s state test results show real challenges. In math, proficiency across grades six through eight falls well below the midpoint for schools in Lane County; in English language arts, the numbers are higher but still substantially below the county median. Science proficiency in eighth grade is similarly low. The available data covers only a single school year, so there is no trend to examine, but the current picture is one of a school where most students are not reaching grade-level benchmarks on state assessments. A parent should consider what support structures exist—the data does not include information on staffing, class size, or intervention programs, so that is worth asking the school directly.

The peer environment reflects the school’s location in a working-class and suburban part of Eugene. Eugene itself is Oregon’s second-largest city, anchored by the University of Oregon, with a downtown cultural core, extensive bike and trail networks, and a mix of manufacturing and service employment. Housing in the city is moderately priced relative to the state, though affordability is tight for many families. The area near Shasta is mostly residential, with reasonable access to parks and transit. For families who want a neighborhood middle school within a district that is actively updating its facilities and curriculum, Shasta offers that basic public school experience. The academic data, however, is a soft spot that warrants attention: a parent moving to the area or choosing between schools would want to learn about academic interventions, how the school supports struggling students, and whether recent curriculum adoptions are beginning to shift outcomes. The school website may offer details on after-school programs, electives, and parent engagement. Shasta is a school where the community is committed—the district bond passed even after a tight levy failure—but where the academic results are far from where a family might hope them to be.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 16% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 12% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 30% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 30% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 18% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

This schoolBethel SD 52, 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.