The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Math. The lowest is 69% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Stephenson Elementary School
Stephenson Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland’s Southwest hills. It is part of Portland Public Schools, Oregon’s largest school district. The school’s enrollment is on the smaller side for an elementary school with grades distributed fairly evenly across each year. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students who identify as two or more races and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students. A relatively small share of students at the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared with many Portland public schools.
State assessment results at Stephenson are strong. On the Oregon statewide tests, the school posted proficiency rates in math and English language arts that, when combined across all tested grades and subjects, place it among the top performers within Multnomah County’s nine districts. Math proficiency was solid in third grade and very high in fourth and fifth grades. English language arts proficiency showed a wider spread, with third graders near the midpoint and fourth and fifth graders at high levels. Science results, available only for fifth graders, were strong. Only one year of test data was available here, so there is no trend line to show whether scores have been rising or falling.
The school’s setting is suburban Portland, in a neighborhood of single-family homes on the city’s west side. Housing in the area commands high values relative to national and state benchmarks. Rents are also high, and the ratio of rent to area median income suggests that renting is more affordable than buying a home at current interest rates. The broader Portland economy is anchored by healthcare, technology, athletic and outdoor brands, and shipping. Portland is a walkable, bike-friendly city with a strong transit system, civic parks, and a downtown core.
A parent considering Stephenson should be aware that the district is in a period of change. Portland Public Schools placed a large capital construction bond on the ballot in late 2024, the largest school bond measure in Oregon history, to fund facility improvements, seismic retrofits, and safety upgrades. The outcome of that vote was not available in the data here, but it would affect future building conditions and property taxes. At the same time, the district has seen a significant enrollment decline since before the pandemic, which has led to a Long-Range Facility Plan and a school consolidation process that involves proposed closures and mergers. These decisions affect school assignment patterns and which neighborhood schools remain open. Families should confirm the current status of Stephenson within any consolidation plans.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data, and no course-access or discipline data in this record. Information on staffing, special education rates, English learner populations, and Title I status was also not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly how it supports students with learning differences or how class sizes have shifted with districtwide enrollment trends.
Stephenson is a neighborhood elementary school with consistently strong academic performance, located in an expensive housing market and part of a large district undergoing enrollment shifts and facility planning. It fits a family that values high test scores, is comfortable in a predominantly white, mid-sized elementary school, and can navigate a district in transition.
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