The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Boise-eliot Elementary School
Boise-Eliot Elementary School is a regular public school in Portland’s Humboldt neighborhood, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Portland Public Schools, the largest district in Oregon. The school sits in a city known for its walkable downtown grid, extensive parks, and robust public transit system, including the MAX light rail and a nationally recognized network of bike infrastructure. Portland’s economy is driven by technology, healthcare, athletic and outdoor brands, and shipping, with major employers including Nike, Oregon Health & Science University, and Intel. The city has experienced a modest population decline since 2020, but housing costs remain elevated, with rents and home prices above national benchmarks; the local housing market carries a significant premium relative to the state as a whole.
Boise-Eliot is a relatively small elementary school, and its student body is diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. The largest group of students are Black, followed by White, Hispanic, and students who identify as two or more races. Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students each make up a small share. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that signals the school serves a community with considerable economic need. This is a key factor for families weighing the peer environment and the types of support the school may require.
State assessment results for the most recent year show that proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are low across all tested grades. In third, fourth, and fifth grade math, the share of students meeting the state standard falls in a range that is well below the midpoint among districts in Multnomah County. English language arts proficiency rates are similarly low in each of those grades, and the fifth-grade science results follow the same pattern. When viewed at the school level, overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places Boise-Eliot in the bottom quarter of the county’s districts. Only one year of data was available for this assessment, so there is no trend information to suggest whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining further. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its strategy for boosting academic outcomes and how it supports students who are behind grade level.
The available data does not include information on the school’s staffing, class sizes, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or the share of students receiving special education services or English learner support. Because there was no graduation rate to report, and this is a school that serves only elementary grades, the absence of that metric is expected. The school is not a charter school, and its Title I status was not listed in the data provided.
Portland Public Schools itself has been navigating significant changes. The district placed a very large capital construction bond on the November 2024 ballot, which would fund facility improvements, seismic retrofits, safety upgrades, and accessibility work across the district. At the same time, the district has experienced a notable drop in enrollment since before the pandemic, prompting a Long-Range Facility Plan and a school consolidation process in the 2024-2025 school year. Some schools have been proposed for closure or merger due to underenrollment and budget pressures. For families considering Boise-Eliot, the district’s consolidation decisions could affect attendance boundaries and the availability of neighborhood school options.
The overarching picture is of a small urban elementary school serving a high-poverty and racially diverse community, located in a city with a strong economy but significant housing cost pressures. Academically, the data points are sobering, with proficiency rates that trail those of most other districts in the county. For a family seeking a school with strong peer academic performance, this would not be a natural match. For a family already connected to the neighborhood or committed to the school community, the central question is whether the school and district have a credible plan to move these numbers in a different direction. The district’s facility bond and consolidation conversations suggest a system in flux, and the school’s own academic trajectory remains unclear given the single year of results.
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