Clarkes Elementary School, Mulino OR

Original Research by School Decision on Clarkes Elementary School

Clarkes Elementary School serves a small student body from kindergarten through fifth grade in the rural hamlet of Mulino, part of the Molalla River School District. Mulino itself is a quiet, low-density community with a historic center along a local highway, a general aviation airport, a grange hall, and a gristmill that dates to the nineteenth century. The area retains an agricultural and residential character rather than a commercial one, and families here are likely accustomed to a slower pace and a short drive to reach more urban services. The school sits on a road called Windy City Road, which matches the rural setting.

The student population is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a very small share of students identifying as two or more races. No Asian, Black, or Native American students are enrolled. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that positions the school above the midpoint among its peers in terms of economic need. The school enrolls roughly the same number of students across kindergarten through fifth grade, with a slightly larger fifth-grade class. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support services.

State testing results from the most recent year show a mixed picture. In English language arts, a majority of third graders met the proficiency standard, while fourth and fifth graders landed around the midpoint, with a slight decline by fifth grade. In math, the scores were lower across all three tested grades, with only a minority of students reaching proficiency. Science, tested only in fifth grade, fell below the half mark. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Clackamas County, but that comparison is based on a single year of data and should be understood as a snapshot rather than a trend. Only one year of results is available, so there is no way to see whether performance is improving or declining.

The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies. Chronic absenteeism data was also absent from the available records. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not reported. No details on specific programs such as gifted education, music, or after-school offerings were provided, which limits a full picture of what the school offers beyond the core academics.

For a parent considering Clarkes, the school offers a small, rural setting with a student body that is economically diverse but not racially diverse. Academic performance is strongest in early elementary reading and weaker in math, and the single year of data makes it difficult to gauge momentum. Families who value a tight-knit community in a quiet rural area may find the school a natural fit, but those concerned about math outcomes or the lack of multi-year achievement data will want to ask the school for more detail on instructional approaches and any academic supports in place. The Molalla River School District did not have any recent major changes publicly reported, so the district context appears stable.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 39% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 24% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 29% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 32% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 32% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 24% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolMolalla River SD 35, 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.