The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ash Creek Elementary School
AshCreek Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Monmouth, Oregon, part of the Central School District. Monmouth is a compact college town anchored by Western Oregon University, which sits near the historic Main Street corridor. The university shapes the local character, with a sizable renter population and a median age younger than the state average. Housing values in the area are somewhat below the Oregon median, and the town has seen steady growth as families look for options that are less expensive than nearby Corvallis or Salem. Monmouth’s elementary students attend Ash Creek or Monmouth Elementary within the city, while middle and high school students travel to the neighboring city of Independence for Talmadge Middle School and Central High School.
The school enrolls a moderate-sized student body for an elementary school. The student population is predominantly Hispanic and white, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races and very small numbers from other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the information we reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support services.
On state assessments administered in the 2024–2025 school year, Ash Creek’s proficiency rates were modest across the tested grades and subjects. In English language arts, the share of students meeting the state benchmark varied by grade, with one grade reaching a level above two-fifths and the others below three-tenths. In mathematics, proficiency was lower across all three tested grades, with the highest grade at roughly one-third and the lowest grade well below one-fifth. Science proficiency, assessed in grade five, was also low. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across subjects and grades placed it above the midpoint among the four districts in Polk County, meaning it falls in the middle of the local range. There is no multi-year trend data available, so it is not possible to see whether these results reflect a recent change or a longer pattern.
The school does not offer high school level programs such as Advanced Placement or career pathways, as that is outside its grade band. No data was reported on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios, which are areas a parent may wish to explore through district reports or direct inquiry. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not specified in the available information.
For a family considering Ash Creek, the school serves a community with a university-town feel, moderate housing costs relative to the state, and a clear neighborhood-school geography for the elementary years. The academic proficiency figures suggest that a family may want to understand what academic support and enrichment opportunities are in place, particularly in math and science. The fact that older students move to Independence for middle and high school is a practical consideration for planning the full K–12 pathway.
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