The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Math. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Creston Elementary School
Creston Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland’s southeast quadrant, a neighborhood of bungalows, mature trees, and commercial strips along Division and Hawthorne. The school is part of Portland Public Schools, the largest district in Oregon, which has been navigating a period of enrollment decline and facility planning. A major capital construction bond, the largest in state history, was placed on the November 2024 ballot to fund seismic retrofits, safety upgrades, and accessibility improvements across the district. The district has also been working through a school consolidation process in response to lower enrollment and budget pressures, a context that families moving into the area may want to track.
Creston itself is a small elementary school, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment is modest for a Portland public elementary school. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students identifying as two or more races, and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of economic need. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learner status was not available in the source materials.
Academically, Creston posts strong results on Oregon’s state assessments. In math, proficiency rates are solid across all tested grades, with fourth grade showing a particularly high level of achievement. English language arts results are similarly strong, with all three tested grades performing well. Fifth-grade science results are also solid. When compared to other districts in Multnomah County, Creston’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile. This is a meaningful signal for a school serving a high-need population, and it suggests that instruction is effectively reaching students.
Because Creston is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism was also not available. The school does not serve high school grades, so measures like college readiness and career pathways do not apply.
The school is located in Portland’s southeast quadrant, a part of the city with a mix of older single-family homes, apartment buildings, and commercial corridors. The neighborhood around Creston is residential and walkable, with access to parks and local businesses. Housing values in the area are high relative to national benchmarks, and rents have been rising, consistent with broader Portland trends. The city itself has seen a modest population decline since 2020, but the metro area continues to grow. Portland manages development through an urban growth boundary, and recent years have brought significant transit-oriented construction, particularly in the Pearl District and South Waterfront. For families, the cost of living in Portland has been increasing, with rising taxes and fees adding to household expenses.
Creston is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It does not have a Title I status listed in the available data, though the high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch would typically qualify a school for federal Title I funding. A parent may want to confirm with the school or district whether Title I resources are in place.
The school’s academic strength, combined with its small size and high-need population, makes it a notable option within Portland Public Schools. Families considering Creston should be aware of the district-level changes underway, including the bond measure and the consolidation process, which could affect school boundaries, facility conditions, and long-term stability. The neighborhood itself is established and walkable, with the kind of street life and transit access that defines much of inner southeast Portland. For a family looking for a strong academic elementary school in a dense urban setting, Creston presents a compelling profile.
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