Springwater Environmental Sciences School, Oregon City OR

Original Research by School Decision on Springwater Environmental Sciences School

Springwater Environmental Sciences School serves kindergarten through eighth grade as a charter school within the Oregon City School District 62. The school sits on Springwater Road on the southern edge of Oregon City, a historic Willamette River town that has grown into a Portland suburb while keeping a compact, walkable downtown core. The district has been investing heavily in facilities: voters approved a major bond in 2022 to renovate Oregon City High School and upgrade security across all schools, and the school board placed a second bond proposal on the November 2024 ballot as a follow-up phase of the long-range plan. Meanwhile the district renamed Ogden Middle School to Tumwata Middle School, a change that signals ongoing identity work at the middle level. For families considering Springwater, these district-level actions indicate a community that is putting capital into its school infrastructure.

Academically, the school’s performance in English language arts stands out as a clear strength. Across the grades tested, proficiency rates are solid, with the upper grades especially strong. Science proficiency in fifth grade is also robust. Math presents a more mixed picture: the lower elementary grades show a smaller share of students meeting the bar, while seventh and eighth grade math results are notably stronger. A parent looking at the full set of results might want to discuss with the school how math instruction is structured across the grade levels and what support is available for students who are not yet at proficiency in the early years. Because Springwater is a K-8 school, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and no state testing data for science in eighth grade was available due to suppression. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among the district-level comparisons within Clackamas County, a strong showing for a small charter school.

The student body is small, which is typical of many charter schools. The enrolled population is predominantly white, with a modest share of students who identify as two or more races and a smaller share who are Hispanic. Information on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a family may want to ask the school directly about the range of support services it offers.

The surrounding housing market reflects Oregon City’s position as an established suburb of the Portland metro area. Home values are above state averages, and rents are notable as well. The area has seen ongoing residential growth as the region expands, and the city’s historic downtown has become a tourism and redevelopment focus, particularly around Willamette Falls. For parents, this means a community that offers suburban amenities, a sense of history, and access to Portland’s employment and cultural opportunities.

As a charter school, Springwater Environmental Sciences School operates with a distinct mission that families choose into. Its name points to an environmental sciences emphasis, though detailed program offerings were not included in the available data. The school is not a magnet or a Title I school. Families considering it will likely be drawn by its thematic focus, its strong ELA and science results, and its position as a small, community-oriented school within a district that is actively investing in its facilities. Those looking for a high school within the same building will need to plan for a transition to Oregon City High School or another option afterward. The key academic picture is one of genuine strength in reading and writing, serviceable but uneven math performance that improves in the later grades, and a charter structure that gives the school flexibility in how it delivers instruction.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 31% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 23% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 38% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 26% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 39% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 45% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 48% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 38% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 49% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 45% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 31% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above 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.