The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Da Vinci Middle School
da Vinci Middle School serves grades six through eight in Portland, Oregon, as part of Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest school district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits in the city’s Northeast quadrant near the Lloyd District. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with a roughly even split across the three grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who identify as two or more races, a smaller but notable Hispanic population, and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic diversity that is present but not dominant.
On state assessments, da Vinci Middle School shows a clear split between English language arts and math. In ELA, proficiency rates across all three grades are solid, with the strongest result in sixth grade and slightly lower but still solid rates in seventh and eighth. In math, the picture is weaker. Sixth-grade math proficiency is below the ELA mark, seventh grade is a bit higher but still modest, and eighth grade is the lowest of the three. Science, tested only in eighth grade, also comes in at a modest level. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile among districts in Multnomah County. That is a strong relative position, though it reflects a wide range of performance across subjects rather than uniformly high scores.
The school is part of Portland Public Schools, a district that has been navigating significant change. Enrollment has dropped from pre-pandemic levels, and the district has pursued a school consolidation process, including proposed closures and mergers, to address underused buildings and budget pressure. A large capital construction bond was placed on the November 2024 ballot, the largest school bond in Oregon history, aimed at facility improvements, seismic retrofits, and safety upgrades. The outcome of that bond vote and the final shape of the consolidation plan are matters a family moving into the district would want to track, as they could affect which schools remain open and what facility conditions look like.
Portland itself is Oregon’s largest city, a major Pacific Northwest metropolitan center with a diversified economy built around 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 bicycle culture. Housing costs in the area are high, with home values and rents well above national benchmarks, reflecting the broader pressures of a growing metro area. The city’s population has seen a slight decline since 2020, but the metro area continues to grow, and development remains active along transit corridors and in redeveloped industrial districts like the Pearl District and South Waterfront.
The school’s student body is majority white, with a notable share of students who identify as two or more races, a smaller Hispanic population, and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, giving the school a moderate level of economic diversity. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
The school is a regular public middle school, not a charter or magnet, and serves grades six through eight. It does not have a Title I designation in the available data. The school’s location in Northeast Portland places it in a part of the city with a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors, close to the Lloyd District and within reach of downtown. The school’s academic profile, with stronger ELA results and weaker math and science results, suggests a family whose child is strong in reading and writing may find a good fit, while a child who needs math support may want to investigate what interventions are available. The school’s overall proficiency index is in the top quartile among districts in Multnomah County, a strong relative standing, but the gap between subjects is wide enough that a family should look at the specific grade-level results rather than the composite alone.
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