The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodmere Elementary School
Woodmere Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in southeast Portland, part of the Portland SD 1J district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school enrolls roughly the size of a small elementary, and its student body reflects a racially and economically diverse community. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic, Asian, and Black students, with smaller numbers of students who identify as two or more races or as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.
Portland itself is Oregon's largest city and a major Pacific Northwest metropolitan center. Its economy draws on technology, athletic and outdoor brands, healthcare, shipping, and craft industries. The city is known for its walkable downtown grid, extensive public transit including light rail and streetcars, and a strong bike infrastructure. Civic life is woven into the urban fabric, with Portland State University downtown and cultural institutions near the Willamette River. Housing costs have risen significantly since the 1990s due to gentrification, and the city has experienced a modest population decline since 2020. The Portland metro area continues to grow overall, and the city manages development through an urban growth boundary.
The Portland SD 1J district has faced notable changes. It placed a large school capital construction bond on the ballot in late 2024, the largest such measure in Oregon history, intended for facility improvements, seismic retrofits, safety upgrades, and accessibility work. Separately, the district has experienced a significant enrollment decline in recent years, leading it to undertake a Long-Range Facility Plan and a school consolidation process in 2024-2025, with proposed closures or mergers of multiple schools. These developments have direct implications for school assignment patterns and neighborhood school availability for families across the district.
On state assessments, Woodmere's proficiency levels in math, English language arts, and science are below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Multnomah County. In third grade, just over a fifth of students met the math bar, and a similar share met the bar in English. Fourth grade showed somewhat higher English proficiency, with roughly a third of students meeting the standard, and about three in ten meeting the math standard. At fifth grade, roughly a quarter of students met the English standard, but math proficiency fell to a very low share, and science proficiency also landed at a low level. These results represent a single year of data, so no trend is available. A parent considering Woodmere will want to discuss these outcomes with the school directly, as they suggest areas of significant academic challenge.
The school itself appears to have a straightforward program for an elementary serving grades K-5. It does not serve grades that take high school exit exams, so no graduation rate is reported. No course access data, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism figures were available. A parent should ask the school about class sizes, specialist offerings, and how the school addresses academic support for students who are below proficiency.
For a family, Woodmere sits in a large urban district undergoing enrollment-driven consolidation and a major facility bond effort. The community is economically diverse and the neighborhood is part of a city with strong civic infrastructure but rising costs. The academic proficiency data is a clear soft spot, and a parent would want to understand the school's instructional approach, intervention programs, and how it measures progress year over year. The school's small size may offer a more intimate setting than larger elementary schools in the district, but that is a characteristic of scale, not a guarantee of experience. Any family looking here should visit, ask about how the school addresses its proficiency gaps, and follow the district's consolidation process to understand how it may affect Woodmere's future.
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