The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cherry Park Elementary School
Cherry Park Elementary is a regular public school in Portland's David Douglas School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits on the east side of the Willamette River, in a residential neighborhood with commercial corridors. Portland is Oregon's largest city, known for its walkable downtown grid, extensive public transit, and a mix of dense commercial districts and quieter residential areas. The east side where Cherry Park is located has older homes and a more suburban feel than the city core.
The student body of about 500 children is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic, Asian, Black, and multiracial groups. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic circumstances of families in the area.
On Oregon's state assessments for the 2024-2025 school year, Cherry Park's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Multnomah County. In third grade, a majority of students met proficiency benchmarks in both reading and math. By fourth grade, the share of students reaching proficiency fell below half in both subjects. Fifth-grade results showed a further decline, with proficiency in math and science dropping to a level that may prompt a parent to ask the school about its approach to these subjects. English language arts proficiency in fifth grade held near the same level as fourth grade.
The school serves only elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Attendance and discipline data were not available. One year of assessment results is on record, so there is no multi-year trend to describe.
Housing in the school's zip code reflects the broader Portland market. Home values are somewhat lower than the typical for Oregon as a whole, and rents are moderate relative to local incomes. The neighborhood around Cherry Park is an older part of the city, with a mix of single-family homes and apartment buildings, and is well-connected to the rest of Portland by bus lines and major roads.
Cherry Park is part of the David Douglas School District, which has made two notable changes in recent years. The district implemented a Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework district-wide starting in the 2021-2022 school year, coordinating academic interventions, behavioral supports, and social-emotional learning across all schools. This means Cherry Park students receive a structured system of universal, targeted, and intensive support. The district also made its fully online K-12 program a permanent option after the pandemic, giving families an alternative to in-person instruction.
For a family considering Cherry Park, the school offers a diverse peer environment in a stable east-side neighborhood. Academic performance is strongest in the early elementary years and weaker in upper grades, particularly in math and science. The district's MTSS framework may provide additional support for students who struggle. The school's location in a large city means access to parks, transit, and cultural amenities, but also to the urban challenges that come with a high-poverty student population. Families looking for a small, diverse neighborhood elementary school with a district-wide support system may find Cherry Park a fit worth examining more closely.
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