Gardiner Middle School, Oregon City OR

Original Research by School Decision on Gardiner Middle School

Gardiner Middle School sits in Oregon City, a suburb of Portland that has a distinct downtown core along the Willamette River and an upper residential area atop a bluff. The community has a historic character tied to the forestry and paper mill industries, though the economy has shifted toward tourism and mixed-use redevelopment, particularly around Willamette Falls. The town is compact enough that the school is woven into the fabric of the city rather than separated on a campus, and the area has seen population growth as the Portland metro region has expanded.

The school serves grades six through eight and is part of Oregon City School District 62. The district has made two major facility investments in recent years. In 2022, voters approved a bond to fund a renovation of the high school, security upgrades across all schools, and improvements at the elementary and middle school level. A second bond was put to voters in late 2024 as part of the district's long-range facilities plan. One of the district's other middle schools was also renamed to Tumwata Middle School, a change families moving into the area may encounter.

Gardiner Middle School enrolls a student body whose composition is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic student population and smaller shares of students who are Asian, Black, or identify as two or more races. A sizable portion of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with an individualized education program and English learner status was not available. Because this is a middle school, no graduation rate is reported.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, Gardiner Middle School's results show a varied picture across grades and subjects. In English language arts, proficiency among all students was in the low-to-mid range depending on grade level, with one grade performing slightly above half, while two other grades were lower. Math proficiency was modest overall, falling below half of students at every grade level, with a decline seen from the tested seventh-grade cohort to the eighth-grade cohort. In science, the only tested grade scored below a quarter of students proficient. When combining all subjects and grades into a single index of proficiency, the school sits below the midpoint when compared to other districts within Clackamas County.

A year-over-year trend is not available because the data covers only a single year, so it is not possible to see whether these numbers are part of a pattern or a snapshot. Parents may want to ask the school about how it supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks and what academic supports are in place.

The housing market in the area reflects the region's growth. Homes in this part of Oregon City carry values that are above the state median, and rents are high as well. The typical mortgage payment for a home at the median price would be a significant monthly cost, and renting is comparatively similar in cost. The local unemployment rate has been stable. For a family considering a move, this suggests that schools are part of a high-cost housing market where the district's facility investments are adding to property tax obligations but also modernizing the buildings.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 23% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 38% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 26% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 49% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 45% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 26% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

This schoolOregon City SD 62, 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.