The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in English language arts. The lowest is 58% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Forest Park Elementary School
Forest Park Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland’s northwest hills, inside the Portland Public Schools system. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates as a neighborhood school for families in the surrounding residential area. The school sits in a part of the city where the housing market is expensive and rents are high, consistent with the west-side neighborhoods near Forest Park itself.
The student body is small for the elementary grades it serves. The school’s demographic composition shows a predominantly white enrollment, with a substantial Asian student population and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races, while Hispanic and Black students each make up a much smaller fraction. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is very low, which signals that the student body comes from families with higher economic means relative to district and county averages. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided information; a parent looking into special education services or language support programs would want to ask the school directly for those details.
On state assessments, Forest Park’s students performed at an exceptionally high level in English language arts and math, far above what most elementary schools in the state achieve. The strongest results were in third-grade English language arts, where nearly all students met proficiency standards. Fourth and fifth grade ELA scores remained very strong, and math proficiency across grades three through five was also quite high, though fifth-grade math dipped somewhat. Science testing, which occurs only in fifth grade, showed a moderate level of proficiency; while still above the county median, it was notably lower than the school’s ELA and math scores. Because the available assessment data comes from a single year, it is not possible to see whether these results represent a trend or a snapshot. The overall proficiency profile placed Forest Park in the top quartile among elementary schools when compared with other districts in Multnomah County, meaning it is among the higher-performing schools in the region.
The school offers no high school programs such as Advanced Placement or career-technical pathways, because it serves only elementary grades. There is no graduation rate for the same reason.
The neighborhood around Forest Park is a quiet, tree-heavy residential area close to one of the largest urban forests in the country. The school’s location on the west side of Portland places it in a part of the city that has long been more affluent and less diverse than the east side. Families who live here tend to work in Portland’s major employment sectors, which include technology firms, athletic and outdoor brands, healthcare, and the Port of Portland. The urban growth boundary that governs development in the metro area has pushed new construction inward, keeping the immediate neighborhood stable in character while adding pressure to the already expensive housing market.
Portland Public Schools itself is in a period of contraction. The district has seen a notable enrollment drop since before the pandemic, and in response it has begun a long-range facility planning process that includes school closures and consolidations. A large capital bond measure, the largest in state history, was placed on the ballot in late 2024 to fund facility improvements, seismic retrofits, and safety upgrades. The outcome of that vote affects the physical condition of every school in the district, including Forest Park. Families considering the school should be aware that district-wide consolidation may alter attendance boundaries or program availability in the coming years, though the school’s location in a stable, high-demand neighborhood may reduce the likelihood of closure.
For a family that values very strong academic performance in the early grades and can afford the area’s housing costs, Forest Park offers a straightforward option within a large urban district that is currently navigating enrollment decline and facility challenges. The school’s peer environment is economically homogeneous, and the overall academic results are well above typical state and county levels. The one subject area where proficiency was merely adequate, fifth-grade science, may be worth a conversation with the school to understand how science instruction is structured across the elementary years.
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