The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Taft Elementary School
Taft Elementary School is a regular public school serving grades three through six in Lincoln City, a coastal tourism and retirement community on the Oregon Coast. The school sits in the Taft neighborhood, one of the five original communities that merged to form the city, and is part of the Lincoln County School District, the sole district serving the entire county. The city’s economy is driven heavily by tourism, healthcare, and retirement, anchored by the Chinook Winds Casino at the northern end of town, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, and district employment. The summer population swells dramatically, but the permanent population is modest, and the built environment stretches along the US Route 101 corridor. Taft Elementary itself is located on High School Drive, adjacent to the high school campus.
The school enrolls a moderate-sized student body for an upper-elementary school, with roughly similar numbers of students across each grade. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high economic need. The student body is mostly white, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller numbers of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records, so a parent should check directly with the school for those details.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show low proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency declines steeply from the lower grades to the upper grades, with very few students scoring proficient at the fifth-grade level. In English language arts, proficiency is also low, though it is slightly higher than math in most grades. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and the proficiency rate there is also low. These figures place the school well below statewide averages, though a direct comparison to other districts within Lincoln County was not possible because the county contains only one district. A parent considering Taft Elementary would want to ask the school about the academic support and intervention programs in place, particularly given the steep drop in math proficiency between fourth and fifth grade.
The district recently secured voter approval for a capital construction bond that funds a new elementary school in Newport, renovations and classroom additions at Taft High School, and district-wide safety and security upgrades. That investment includes improvements that may affect the elementary school indirectly, though the bond’s primary elementary focus is in another city. The district also received a state matching grant, and construction was anticipated to begin in 2025. No information was provided about specific academic programs, enrichment offerings, or extracurricular activities at Taft Elementary, so families should contact the school to learn about what is available beyond core instruction.
The school does not have test scores from prior years in the data provided, so there is no way to gauge whether performance is trending up or down. Chronic absenteeism rates and discipline data were also absent, as were details on staffing ratios or teacher qualifications. For a family looking at this school, the core academic picture is the main takeaway: the school serves a community with significant economic need, and its state test results reveal challenges in moving students to proficiency, especially in upper grades. The district’s ongoing capital projects suggest a commitment to improving facilities, but whether that translates into stronger instructional support is a question best answered by a visit and conversation with the principal.
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