The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Irrigon Elementary School
Irrigon Elementary School is a regular public school in Morrow County, Oregon, serving grades four through six. It sits in the small, family-oriented town of Irrigon on the south bank of the Columbia River, a community whose economy rests on agriculture and food processing, with Western Alfalfa as the largest employer. The town has been growing, and the city describes itself as up and coming with downtown development underway, though the housing supply is tight. Home values in Irrigon are lower than the state and national benchmarks, making the area more accessible on that front. The school is part of Morrow SD 1, the county’s school district, which we looked into for recent changes but found little of lasting impact to report.
Enrollment at Irrigon Elementary is moderate for an upper-elementary school. The student body is roughly evenly split between Hispanic students and white students, with small shares of other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the community’s economic base. Data on English learner and special education populations were not available in the source materials, so a parent may want to ask the school about support services directly.
State assessment results from the most recent school year give a picture of where Irrigon Elementary’s students stand. In math, proficiency across the three tested grades fell in a modest range, with the lowest in fifth grade and the highest in fourth and sixth grades at comparable levels. In English language arts, proficiency varied more by grade: the share of students meeting the bar was lower in fourth grade, higher in fifth, and higher still in sixth. Science results, which are tested only in fifth grade, came in on the lower side. Overall, the school’s proficiency rates are modest, and a parent may want to look into how the school addresses academic growth, particularly in the earlier grades of this span.
That said, when comparing Irrigon Elementary’s performance to the broader county context, a different angle emerges. The school sits relative to districts in Morrow County, and on a composite proficiency index across tested subjects and grades, it places in the top quartile. This means that, even though the absolute proficiency rates are modest, the school’s overall performance stands out favorably against the average district-level performance in the county. It is a meaningful strength within its local setting.
Because the school serves only grades four through six, there is no graduation rate to report, and the available data did not include information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing, or course access. Those gaps often reflect the nature of a mid-grade elementary school rather than a weakness, but they are worth noting for a parent who wants a fuller picture.
Program offerings beyond the standard curriculum were not listed in the data we have. The town itself is compact, with schools and civic buildings integrated into the small footprint rather than set apart on isolated campuses. Irrigon Junior/Senior High School and two other elementary schools are also in town, so students feed into the same district system. The community has recreational anchors such as the Irrigon Marina and the annual Watermelon Festival, and a historic school building now serves as a multicultural arts center.
For a family considering the area, Irrigon Elementary offers a small-school environment in a growing agricultural town with affordable housing relative to the state. The academic picture is one of modest proficiency rates that nonetheless compare well within the county. The lack of data on special populations and support services is something a prospective parent should follow up on directly with the school. The school fits best for families who value a close-knit community setting and want a school that performs relatively strongly within its rural district context.
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