The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Powell Butte Elementary School
Powell Butte Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland’s Centennial School District, a regular public school in the city’s eastern reaches. The school’s enrollment is on the larger side for an elementary building, and the student body is diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by white and Asian students, with smaller but present groups of Black, multiracial, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations.
On state assessments, the picture is one the school will want to build on. Proficiency rates in math and English language arts were below state averages across the tested grades. In third-grade reading, just over a third of students met the bar, which was the strongest result among the school’s tested grades and subjects. In fourth and fifth grade reading, the share was lower. Math results were notably lower, with single-digit and low-teen proficiency rates across the three tested grades. Science, tested only in fifth grade, also had a low proficiency rate. When placed across districts in Multnomah County, the school’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile.
Because Powell Butte is a K-5 school, there is no graduation rate to report. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether performance is moving up or down over time.
The school sits within the Centennial School District, which serves the east side of Portland. The locale is firmly urban. Portland’s east side is predominantly residential, with commercial corridors and a mix of older single-family homes and apartment buildings. The area around Powell Butte’s address is not in the densest core of the city but is within Portland’s city limits, with access to the city’s bus network and major roads. Housing values in the zip code are near the state median home value, and rents are roughly in line with what a household earning a median income might afford, though the area has seen upward pressure on housing costs over time. The district itself did not have any recent major changes that were publicly reported, so a family looking for recent program shifts or boundary adjustments may want to check with the district office directly.
For families considering Powell Butte, the central question is what kind of academic support their child will need. The school’s proficiency numbers are low, and a parent whose child is already strong in reading or math may find fewer peers at a high skill level than in some other area schools. Conversely, a family whose child needs extra help may find that the school has experience meeting students where they are. The school offers no high school programs, career pathways, or AP courses because of its grade band. It is a straightforward neighborhood elementary school serving a high-need population in a large urban district. The diversity of the student body can be a strength for families who want their children in a setting that reflects the broader city. The building sits in a part of Portland that is less affluent than the city’s west side, and the housing stock is more affordable there, which may matter to families choosing a school attendance area. A visit to the school to observe instruction and talk with the principal about academic interventions and enrichment would be a logical next step.
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