The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cloverdale Elementary School
Cloverdale Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade in the small, primarily residential community of Turner, Oregon, located about ten miles southeast of downtown Salem. The school is part of the Cascade School District. Turner is a town that grew from its origins as a railroad settlement and has experienced notable population growth in recent years, increasingly functioning as a bedroom community within the Salem metropolitan area. Much of the town’s civic life centers on its parks, city facilities, and the elementary school itself.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and very small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need.
Cloverdale’s academic performance on the Oregon state assessments shows a mixed picture across grade levels and subjects. In English language arts, fourth graders performed at a rate that was comfortably above half, while third graders were roughly at the midpoint, and fifth graders fell below that mark. In math, the pattern was more uneven: third and fourth graders performed at solid levels, while fifth graders posted a notably lower result. Fifth grade science results also came in low. When the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is compared to other schools in Marion County, Cloverdale lands in the top quartile among the county’s districts, which places it above the middle of the pack relative to its wide county-level peers. The variation between grade levels is worth attention; a parent may want to ask the school how it supports the transition to upper elementary, where the fifth-grade numbers drop off.
Because Cloverdale serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available. No information on the school’s special education or English learner populations was provided, and the school's discipline, staffing, and course access data were also absent from the record. These are gaps a prospective family might wish to explore directly with the school or district.
The housing market in the area served by the school shows home values that are above the state average, with modest appreciation over the past year. Rents are a smaller share of income than a typical mortgage payment would be, which is common in many parts of the country at present. The economic context at the national level includes a moderate unemployment rate and a median household income that has been relatively stable in recent years.
Turner itself is a small town with limited commercial activity; the most notable local landmark is the Enchanted Forest amusement park, which has operated for decades. The town’s former industrial base of mills and lumber has largely disappeared, and many residents likely commute to Salem for work. There is no traditional walkable downtown, and the town’s infrastructure for water and sewer connects to Salem’s system. Four city parks provide recreational gathering points. The elementary school is situated within the community, while older students attend secondary schools elsewhere in the Cascade School District.
For a family considering Cloverdale, the school offers a small, community-anchored elementary experience in a growing but still quiet town on the edge of a larger metro area. Academic results are a mixed bag, with some strong grade-level outcomes but a notable soft spot in fifth grade that warrants a closer look. The economic profile of the student body is one of significant need, and the school’s overall proficiency index sits among the stronger ones in the county, which is a positive signal relative to its immediate geographic peers.
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