The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mill Park Elementary School
Mill Park Elementary School is a public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland, Oregon. It is part of the David Douglas School District, a district that has in recent years adopted a district-wide Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, which coordinates academic interventions, behavioral supports, and social-emotional learning across all schools. The district also offers a permanent K-12 online learning option called the David Douglas Online Academy, which was launched during the pandemic and made a permanent choice for families.
The school itself is a regular public school. It is located in a neighborhood within Portland, the state’s largest city and a major Pacific Northwest metropolitan center. Portland’s economy is varied, with significant employment in healthcare, technology, athletic and outdoor brands, shipping, and government. The city manages growth through an urban growth boundary, and recent trends include a slight population decline since the 2020 census, alongside rising housing costs driven by gentrification. The housing market in the school’s zip code reflects the broader city pattern, with home values and rents roughly in line with national norms. For a family considering moving to the area, the school’s neighborhood is part of a large urban environment with established transit, parks, and civic infrastructure.
Mill Park’s student body is diverse, with the largest groups being Hispanic, White, and Asian students, followed by Black students, students of two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and a very small American Indian or Alaska Native population. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Special-population data such as the precise share of students with individualized education plans or English learner classifications was not available in the provided records.
On state assessments, Mill Park’s results show a range of proficiency rates across subjects and grade levels. The school’s overall academic proficiency, when averaged across tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Multnomah County. In English language arts, the school’s rates show a notable difference by grade: the youngest tested grade had a lower rate, the fourth grade had a slightly lower rate, while the fifth grade reached a point where roughly four in ten students met the proficiency standard. In math, the results were lower across the board, with the fifth grade again performing somewhat higher than the earlier grades. Science is tested in fifth grade only, and the proficiency rate there was lower than in either English or math. Only a single year of state assessment data was available for this school, so no trend can be observed. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school about the specific academic strategies in place, particularly in math, and how the school supports students toward proficiency.
Because Mill Park serves only through fifth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high-school-level programs like Advanced Placement or career-technical pathways, which is typical for an elementary school. No data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available in the record. The district brief notes that David Douglas School District implemented its MTSS framework starting in 2021-2022, which aims to provide tiered support for academics and behavior; a parent could ask how that framework is applied at Mill Park specifically.
For a family looking at this school, the primary considerations center on its standing as an elementary school within the David Douglas system, serving an economically diverse student population in a city neighborhood. The academic results indicate areas where the school is working to improve, and the limited data means a parent will want to visit and talk to the staff. The housing in the area carries the price pressures common to Portland, and the school sits within a district that offers a permanent online option as an alternative to in-person attendance.
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