Original Research by School Decision on Nixyaawii Community School
Nixyaawii Community School is a small public charter high school serving ninth through twelfth grade in Pendleton, Oregon. It operates as a regular school within the Pendleton School District but with its own governance as a charter. The school's name and location on July Grounds Lane, near the Umatilla Indian Reservation, signal a strong cultural identity tied to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Pendleton itself is the county seat of Umatilla County, a city whose economy and character are shaped by agriculture, ranching, and the Pendleton Woolen Mills, and where the annual Round-Up rodeo draws large crowds. The nearby reservation and the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute underscore the area's deep Native American heritage.
Enrollment is small for a high school. The student body is overwhelmingly Native American, with a substantial majority of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, and a smaller share identifying with two or more races. A modest number of students are Hispanic, and very few are white or Black. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not provided, so family economic circumstances and the level of specialized support are not clear from the available information.
State testing results are available for one school year only, the most recent. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was above half of tested students. In science, the proficiency rate was lower, settling below two-fifths. These figures come from a single year, so no trend line is established. A parent may want to ask the school how these results compare to prior years and what steps are being taken in science instruction.
No graduation rate was reported in the data, which is a notable gap for a high school. Parents considering this school should ask directly about the four-year graduation rate and how the school supports students toward earning a diploma. The school's academic offerings, including any Advanced Placement, career pathways, or dual-credit courses, were also not detailed in the information we reviewed.
The school's parent district, Pendleton School District, has faced repeated difficulty passing facilities bond measures. Four bond proposals between 2021 and 2024 were rejected by voters, some by narrow margins. This means that major capital improvements and repairs across district schools have gone unfunded, and the condition of the buildings that Nixyaawii uses may be part of that larger picture.
For a family, Nixyaawii Community School presents a distinct option: a small charter high school with a clear cultural foundation and a student body that is predominantly Native American. The academic picture is partial—state test results in English language arts are moderately encouraging while science is weaker, and the graduation rate is simply not in the data. Families will want to fill in those blanks by talking directly with the school. The community setting of Pendleton offers a mix of small-city amenities, a strong tribal presence, and an economy tied to agriculture and corrections, with the district's facility limitations as a background factor.
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