Hall Elementary School, Gresham OR

Original Research by School Decision on Hall Elementary School

Hall Elementary School is a regular public school in Gresham, Oregon, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It belongs to Gresham-Barlow School District 10J, one of three districts that split the city’s school-age population. Gresham itself is a sizable suburban city east of Portland, with a historic downtown, a community college campus, and a Carnegie-era public library. Schools in the city are not clustered around a single district seat; they are distributed across Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, and Reynolds districts, so attendance boundaries tend to drive where a family’s child will be enrolled. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent headline-worthy changes, so this profile reflects the school’s day-to-day reality without a major reform backstory to account for.

The student body is diverse in composition. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by White students, then those identifying as two or more races, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school well above typical statewide poverty indicators for elementary schools. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner supports were not reported for this profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs.

Academically, the picture is sobering. The most recent state assessment results, from the 2024–2025 school year, show proficiency rates that are among the lowest when compared with other districts in Multnomah County. In math, the share of students meeting state standards is below a tenth across grades three, four, and five. In reading and writing, the numbers are similarly low, though fifth grade shows a slightly higher share proficient. In science, tested only in fifth grade, the proficiency rate is still well under a fifth of students. Because only one year of test data is available, no trend can be drawn; a parent should treat these results as a single snapshot and may want to discuss with the school what interventions or support structures are in place.

The housing market in the school’s ZIP code reflects a typical Portland-metro suburban character. Home values and rents have been stable, though affordability relative to national benchmarks is moderately tight. For a family considering a move into the attendance zone, that stability suggests a predictable market, but the school’s performance profile means the academic environment will be a central consideration.

Hall Elementary is not a school that will attract families seeking high testing numbers or a competitive academic culture in the elementary years. Its strengths lie elsewhere: a diverse student population, a high-need setting where federal and state supports likely play a major role, and a location within a larger district that provides pathways to multiple high schools in later grades. Parents who value a neighborhood school with a broad socioeconomic mix, or who are committed to being involved in a school that is working to improve, may find a fit here. For those whose priority is strong state-test results, the data warrants a closer look at what is offered beyond the assessment scores.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 35%

School 5% · District 24% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 21% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 20% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 35%

School 5% · District 27% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 30% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 41% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 21% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 15 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.