The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodlawn Elementary School
Woodlawn Elementary School serves students from preschool through fifth grade in Portland’s Northeast neighborhood. It is a regular public school within the Portland SD 1J district, and it occupies an older building on 11th Avenue, a short stretch from Alberta Street’s bustling commercial corridor. The school is not a charter, and no magnet or Title I designation has been reported.
Academically, Woodlawn’s state assessment results for the single year on record paint a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates were highest among third graders, dipped in fourth grade, and fell again in fifth grade. In English language arts, a similar downward pattern appeared: the strongest performance came in third grade, followed by a decline in fourth and a further decline in fifth. Fifth-grade science proficiency was lower than either math or ELA at that grade level. Because only one year of data is available, there is no way to tell whether these numbers represent a trend or a snapshot. When compared across districts in Multnomah County, Woodlawn’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile, a position that may be driven by the stronger third-grade scores pulling the average up.
The student body is small for a Portland elementary school and draws from the surrounding neighborhood. Racially and ethnically, the largest group of students are White, followed by Black students, Hispanic students, and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic diversity is a notable feature of the school’s population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a family would need to ask the school directly about those supports.
Woodlawn sits in a part of Portland that has seen significant change over the past two decades. The neighborhood around Alberta Street is known for its independent shops and restaurants and has experienced rising property values and rents as gentrification has reshaped North and Northeast Portland. Home values in the zip code are well above national averages, and renting is a heavy share of area income, typical of a city where housing costs have climbed since the 1990s. Portland’s overall population has declined slightly since 2020, but the metro area continues to grow; the city manages this with an urban growth boundary that pushes development inward. For a family looking at Woodlawn, the housing market is a central consideration, and the school sits in a neighborhood where affordability pressures are real.
The district context adds another layer. Portland Public Schools has seen a significant enrollment drop from pre-pandemic levels, leading to a Long-Range Facility Plan that has proposed school closures and mergers. A major capital construction bond was placed on the 2024 ballot, the largest school bond in Oregon history, to fund facility upgrades, seismic retrofits, and safety improvements. The outcome of that bond and the consolidation process will shape the physical condition and long-term viability of every school in the district, including Woodlawn. Families moving into the area may want to stay informed about which schools are slated for investment or potential change.
No information about special programs, course offerings, or extracurricular activities was available. A parent considering Woodlawn would want to visit, talk to the principal about what enrichment is available, and understand how the small student body and mixed academic results align with their child’s needs. The school’s top-quartile standing among Multnomah County districts suggests that, taken as a whole, its students are performing above the midpoint of the county’s elementary schools, though the decline in upper grades is a pattern worth exploring further.
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