Powell Valley Elementary School, Gresham OR

Original Research by School Decision on Powell Valley Elementary School

Powell Valley Elementary School is a regular public school in Gresham, Oregon, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Gresham-Barlow School District, one of three districts that serve the city. Gresham’s schools are spread across these three districts on campuses distributed through the city rather than clustered downtown, and the city’s civic life, including its historic downtown and library, sits separately from the school campuses. The district itself has not recently reported substantial changes or initiatives that would shape a family’s experience.

The school enrolls a modest number of students for an elementary. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community where many families face economic pressures. The student body is diverse but predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller but notable share of students who identify as two or more races. Smaller groups of Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students are also present. Data on the number of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

State testing results from the 2024-2025 school year are the only academic performance data available, and they paint a challenging picture. In both English language arts and mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five are well below the midpoint among schools in Multnomah County. The overall proficiency index, which combines all tested subjects and grades, places the school in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. Fifth-grade science results are similarly low. These are the school’s first reported test scores from this assessment, so no trend can be established yet. For a family weighing academic outcomes, these numbers are a clear soft spot, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what interventions or supports are in place.

The school’s grade band means there is no graduation rate to report. No information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing was available, so those aspects of the school environment cannot be assessed here.

Housing in the area reflects the broader Portland metro market. Home values in the zip code are above the national median and roughly on par with Oregon’s statewide figure. Rents have been rising modestly. The typical mortgage payment is considerably higher than the typical rent, which makes renting the more attainable option for many households. The area’s median household income is modest relative to those costs, reinforcing the economic context that many families at the school are navigating.

Powell Valley Elementary is a school that serves a high-needs population in a district that did not advertise any recent program changes or priorities. Its academic performance is low compared to other schools in the county, and the data available is limited to a single year of testing. A family considering this school would want to learn about the specific academic supports, class sizes, and enrichment opportunities that are not captured in the available records.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 24% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 20% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 30% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 41% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 21% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolGresham-Barlow SD 10J, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.