The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Holt Elementary School
Holt Elementary School is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade regular public school in Eugene, Oregon, part of the Eugene School District 4J. The school sits in a residential area of the city, and Eugene itself is Oregon’s second-largest city, shaped by the University of Oregon, a strong arts and outdoor-recreation culture, and a mix of manufacturing and service industries. The university anchors the local economy, and the city’s downtown is walkable with a civic and cultural core. Housing in the surrounding area is expensive relative to national benchmarks, and the local housing market has seen modest softening. The district recently approved a major capital bond to rebuild one high school and upgrade other facilities, adopted a new district-wide elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, and closed an alternative elementary school due to enrollment decline – all factors that shape the context families in the district experience.
The student body at Holt Elementary is moderately sized for an elementary school and serves a community where a substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with a notable presence of students who identify as Hispanic and a meaningful share identifying as two or more races. Smaller numbers of Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students are also enrolled. Data on students with disabilities or English learner status was not available from the records reviewed.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, Holt’s results show variation by subject and grade. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency standards was lower in third grade and rose in the upper elementary grades. In mathematics, proficiency rates were fairly consistent across grades three through five, at a modest level. In science, which is tested only at fifth grade, about three in ten students scored as proficient. These figures represent a single year of tested achievement; no prior-year trend data was available to assess direction of change.
When compared against other districts in Lane County, Holt Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile. That means that among the county’s school districts, the school’s combined performance ranks above the middle of the pack. However, the absolute proficiency levels are moderate: a parent looking at the numbers would see a school where most students are not yet meeting the state’s bar for proficiency in math and science, and where English language arts results improve notably by fifth grade but still leave a substantial portion of students below the threshold.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available from the provided sources. Families may wish to ask the school for information on attendance patterns and student support programs.
Holt Elementary is one of many neighborhood schools in the Eugene 4J district. The district’s adoption of the EL Education K-5 Language Arts curriculum, which began in the 2024-2025 school year, directly affects instruction at Holt. The shift to a science-of-reading approach is meant to strengthen literacy foundations, and parents may want to learn how implementation is progressing at this specific school. The district also adjusted middle school schedules to a six-period day to address budget constraints, a change that will affect Holt students when they move on to sixth grade. The capital bond passed in 2024 does not specifically target Holt, but it signals broader district investment in facilities and safety.
For a family considering Holt, the core picture is a neighborhood school serving a high-poverty community where academic proficiency, while above the county average, still has room for growth. The school’s location in Eugene means access to the city’s parks, trails, and cultural amenities, and the district is in a period of curriculum and facility change. Parents would benefit from visiting the school, talking to teachers about the new literacy curriculum, and understanding what academic interventions or enrichment are available for students who are not yet at grade level.
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