The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Siuslaw Middle School
Siuslaw Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in Florence, a small coastal city on the Oregon coast. The school is one of three in the Siuslaw School District, sitting between the district’s elementary and high school. The setting is a quiet town where tourism, a retiree population, and the Port of Siuslaw anchor the local economy, with Old Town’s riverfront district and a boardwalk along the marina providing a sense of place. US Route 101 runs through town, and commercial development is largely auto-oriented. The school itself occupies a building on Oak Street, near other district schools and civic facilities.
State testing results from the most recent school year show that across tested subjects, a share of students met proficiency benchmarks, but the proportion varies noticeably by grade and subject. In math, about a quarter of sixth graders met the mark, roughly a third of seventh graders did, and about one in five eighth graders were proficient. In English language arts, results were a bit better but still uneven: roughly two in five sixth graders were proficient, with a similar share of seventh graders, and around a quarter of eighth graders. Science is tested only in eighth grade, and about one in five students reached proficiency. Comparing the school’s overall proficiency index across subjects and grades to other schools in Lane County, Siuslaw Middle School sits below the midpoint of the district-level distribution. The data covers a single year, so there is no trend line yet to show improvement or decline. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The student body is relatively small and predominantly white, with a smaller number of students who identify as Hispanic or with two or more races, and very few students from other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of economic need in the community. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the data available, which limits a full picture of special population support. The school’s status as a Title I school was also not provided. Similarly, data on discipline, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, and course access were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those aspects of the environment.
The town of Florence has a moderate housing market compared to national benchmarks, with home values showing a slight recent decline after a period of growth. The community includes a mix of owner-occupied homes and rentals, and the overall population has been relatively stable in recent years. Peace Harbor Hospital and Three Rivers Casino Resort are among the larger employers. The district itself did not appear in search results as having undergone major recent changes, so the school’s operations and leadership may be assumed to be in a steady state.
For a parent considering Siuslaw Middle School, the key takeaway is that the school operates in a small, close-knit coastal community with a modest-sized student body. Academic performance on state assessments is modest, with a significant portion of students scoring below the proficient level, especially in eighth-grade science and math. A family moving to Florence or already living there who values a small middle school setting and wants to stay in district for a single high school feeder may find this a natural fit, though they will want to look into academic supports available for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. The relatively high rate of economic need among families may mean that school resources are stretched, and it is worth inquiring about programs and interventions. The absence of reported data on several areas of school climate and staffing means that a direct conversation with the school or a visit would be important to fill in the gaps.
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