Original Research by School Decision on Community Alternative Learning Center
Forest Grove’s Community Alternative Learning Center is a small high school serving ninth through twelfth graders. As an alternative school, it is designed for students who have not thrived in a traditional comprehensive high school setting. The school sits within the Forest Grove School District and operates out of a single location on Taylor Way. Because of its alternative designation, much of the standard academic and outcome data that parents expect from a conventional high school is either absent or applies differently here.
Enrollment is very small. Most of the students are Hispanic, and about three-quarters of the student body qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that signals a high-need population. The grade distribution is top-heavy, with the largest group in twelfth grade and the smallest in ninth grade, a pattern that suggests the school may serve students who are catching up on credits or finishing later than their peers. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
State testing results are limited. The only reported measure comes from a single school year and covers English language arts proficiency, which stands at a low rate. No math or science results were reported. No four-year graduation rate is available, which is common for alternative schools that often use extended timelines or alternative completion pathways. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing. Because the comparison framework for districts in Washington County could not apply any academic metrics to this school, a parent cannot place its performance alongside neighboring schools in a conventional way. This is not unusual for an alternative setting, but it does mean that families will need to rely on direct conversation with the school to understand academic progress, graduation rates, and postsecondary outcomes.
The school’s location in Forest Grove places it in a community that combines a walkable downtown core with rural edges, anchored by Pacific University’s campus. Forest Grove has a slower pace than nearby Hillsboro or Beaverton while still sitting within the Portland metro area. The downtown along Pacific Avenue and Main Street offers locally owned restaurants, breweries, and a seasonal farmers market, and the university brings some cultural and civic activity. Bus service connects to the regional MAX light rail. Housing values in the area are roughly in line with state benchmarks, and the housing stock ranges from older ranch homes to newer subdivisions on the city’s edges. The district itself reported no recent parent-relevant changes from the available research.
For a family considering the Community Alternative Learning Center, the most important step is to visit and ask specific questions. The available data gives very little to assess academic strength, peer environment, or support structures. What is clear is that this is a small, alternative school serving a predominantly low-income and Hispanic student body, and that typical state test results are far below the averages seen in the district’s comprehensive high schools. A parent will want to learn directly what programs, counseling, credit recovery options, and pathways to graduation or GED equivalency the school offers, and what outcomes its graduates achieve. Without those details, the public record alone does not provide a full picture.
See more original research from School Decision →