The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Science. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Evergreen Elementary School
Evergreen Elementary School sits in Cave Junction, a small rural city in Josephine County’s Illinois Valley. The town, a former timber hub now branding itself as the gateway to the Oregon Caves, has a low median household income and a high poverty rate. Population is essentially flat to slightly declining, and the economy has shifted toward tourism, wineries, and retirement living. Housing values in the area are below state and national benchmarks, and the local unemployment rate has hovered near the national average. For families, Cave Junction offers a compact, car-dependent setting where civic and commercial life centers on the highway junction.
Evergreen serves kindergarten through fourth grade and is part of the Three Rivers/Josephine County School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter. The enrollment is modest for an elementary school serving five grade levels. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which points to the economic pressures many families in the area face. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic subgroup and smaller shares of students who identify with two or more races, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
On state assessments, Evergreen’s proficiency rates are modest. In math, the share of students meeting the bar is about one in four at both third and fourth grade. In English language arts, slightly more than one in four third graders and roughly one in three fourth graders hit the proficiency mark. Science results are older and from a different test, making them less useful for comparison. Academic trend data covers only a single year, so there is no basis for judging whether performance is improving or declining. Relative to other schools in Josephine County—the comparison set is small, with only one other district—Evergreen’s combined proficiency index sits above the midpoint, but that positioning reflects a thin field. A parent should keep in mind that the county’s two districts may differ in ways a simple rank does not capture, and the modest proficiency rates themselves give a clearer picture than the relative ranking.
Because Evergreen ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate or high school outcomes to consider. The school’s program offerings were not reported in the data available, so it is unclear what enrichment or specialty classes exist beyond the core curriculum. Discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, and staffing ratios were also absent. A parent visiting or calling the school should expect to ask about class sizes, course offerings in art, music, or physical education, and the school’s approach to supporting students who are behind academically.
For families moving to Cave Junction, the housing market is relatively affordable compared to the rest of Oregon, though the area’s economic base is narrow and growth is stagnant. The school sits within the town’s compact footprint, not on a distant campus, so access is straightforward. Evergreen is the elementary option in a district that also includes a middle school and high school, so families considering this school are likely committing to the Three Rivers district for the long run. Given the proficiency numbers, a parent whose child needs strong academic support or enrichment may want to investigate what interventions and acceleration opportunities the school offers. The school’s modest size and rural setting could appeal to families who want a small, community-anchored elementary experience, while those looking for a wide array of programs or a highly competitive academic environment would likely need to look at schools in larger Oregon districts.
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