The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 50% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on May Street Elementary School
May Street Elementary School, located in the city of Hood River, serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Hood River County School District. The school population is diverse, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic or Latino population representing roughly a third of enrollment, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Asian, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
State testing results from the most recent school year show a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, performance varied by grade. The strongest result came from fifth grade, where a solid majority of students met proficiency, while third and fourth grade proficiency rates were lower. In math, the highest proficiency rate was in fourth grade, followed by third grade, with fifth grade coming in lower. On the fifth-grade science assessment, half of students met proficiency. Because only one year of data is available, there is no trend information to show whether these results represent a change from prior years. The district overall could not be compared to other districts within Hood River County for proficiency, as it is the only district in the county.
The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate information is available. There is no public data on chronic absenteeism, course access, staffing, or discipline for this school. A parent looking for details on class sizes, teacher qualifications, or student support services may want to ask the school directly.
Hood River itself is a small city that has transformed over recent decades from an agricultural and logging base to a destination for windsurfing, outdoor recreation, and tourism, with a growing presence of technology and telecommunications employers. The downtown area is walkable and active, with art galleries, breweries, wineries, and restaurants, and the Columbia River waterfront serves as a major civic anchor. Housing costs are high relative to national benchmarks, and the area has experienced a sharp rise in home values over the past generation. The city's population grew significantly in the decades leading up to 2020 but has since plateaued and edged slightly lower. The broader Hood River County has also seen growth, though newcomers drawn by recreation and quality of life have pushed up housing prices, pricing some longtime residents out of the market. The Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area designation limits outward sprawl, concentrating development within the existing urban footprint. Major employers include a defense contractor, a hospital, the Port of Hood River, government agencies, and the tourism and hospitality sector, along with agricultural operations in the surrounding valley.
On the district level, a publicly reported development from mid-2025 involves the school board considering a bond measure for a new athletic complex and youth sports fields at Hood River Valley High School. The bond would not increase the tax rate because existing bond debt is rolling off, making it a facilities investment that would be funded without a higher levy. No other major curriculum, pedagogy, or property-tax changes surfaced in available research.
For a family considering May Street Elementary, the school offers an elementary education in a community with a distinctive economy and active outdoor culture, set against high housing costs that shape who can afford to live nearby. The test results show pockets of stronger performance, particularly in fifth-grade English and fourth-grade math, alongside areas where proficiency rates are lower, a pattern a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand how instruction and support vary by grade and subject.
See more original research from School Decision →