The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Oak Grove Elementary
Oak Grove Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Milwaukie, a Portland suburb that balances a small-town feel with its role in the broader metro area. The school is part of the North Clackamas School District 12, a large district that has seen several recent changes. A new high school opened in 2021 in a fast-growing part of the district, and in 2023 the district adopted a science-of-reading approach for elementary literacy instruction. School start times shifted district-wide starting in the 2024-25 school year, with elementary schools moving to earlier start times. Voters in 2024 defeated a capital construction bond that would have addressed facility needs, leaving those improvements unfunded for now.
The student body is on the smaller side for its grade band and is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population representing a meaningful share and a smaller number of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.
State assessment results for the 2024-2025 school year provide a look at academic performance. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through five show a clear upward trend by grade level, with the highest rate in fifth grade. Math proficiency rates were lower across all three tested grades, with fourth grade at the lowest point. Fifth graders also took the state science assessment, where the proficiency rate was below the English language arts rate for that grade. The multi-year trend data only covers a single year for this school, so no trajectory can be established.
Looking at the school’s performance relative to other schools in districts across Clackamas County, the overall proficiency measure lands below the midpoint of that group. This is a straightforward read of the comparative data. For a family considering the school, the numbers in English language arts suggest that students who stay through fifth grade may be building stronger skills, while math performance is an area a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand the instructional approach and any support available.
Milwaukie itself is rated somewhat walkable and is a strong biking community. The MAX Orange Line light rail connects downtown Milwaukie to Portland, and the city has a downtown core with a farmers market and a library, though a multi-lane highway bisects the area. The city’s population has remained roughly flat in recent years, with planning efforts focused on growth near transit stations and along the riverfront. Major employers in the area include Dark Horse Comics, Bob’s Red Mill, and several industrial firms.
Housing in the area is priced at a level that is broadly similar to the rest of Oregon, with rents following a comparable pattern. The national context on affordability shows a typical home price substantially above the national median, reflecting the Portland metro influence. Rent is slightly lower than a mortgage payment for a similarly priced home at current interest rates.
Because Oak Grove is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate, and the civil rights and discipline data sections were not provided. The school’s program offerings were also not included in the available data. This is a straightforward neighborhood elementary school in a suburb that is part of a larger district undergoing curriculum and schedule changes, serving a student population with a high rate of economic need. The academic picture from the most recent year shows stronger results in fifth-grade English language arts and weaker results in math and science, with the school’s overall proficiency profile sitting below the midpoint when compared with other schools across Clackamas County districts.
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