The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Portland Arthur Academy Charter School
Portland Arthur Academy Charter School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Mount Tabor neighborhood of Portland. It is a small elementary school, and its size is a defining characteristic. The setting is urban, part of Portland’s east side, with a neighborhood feel that includes commercial corridors and residential streets. The school building sits on SE Yamhill Street, and the surrounding area offers a mix of older homes and multi-unit buildings.
The school’s student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Asian students, then Black students, and a smaller share of Hispanic students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with modest household incomes. The school does not report rates for students receiving special education services or English learner support, so a parent may want to ask about those programs directly.
On state assessments, Portland Arthur Academy posted results that, across tested grades and subjects, placed it in the top quartile relative to districts in Multnomah County. That strong overall proficiency index reflects solid performance, particularly in English language arts, where large majorities of students in grades three, four, and five met or exceeded the bar. Math results were more mixed. Third graders performed well, but proficiency dropped in fourth and fifth grades, where the share of students hitting the target was notably lower than in reading. In fifth-grade science, about half of students were proficient. The pattern suggests that while early literacy is a clear strength, math achievement softens in the upper elementary years, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school.
Because the school only serves elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and the available data provides a single year of test results, so no trend over time is available.
The school is part of Portland Public Schools, the largest district in Oregon. That district has been navigating some significant changes that affect families at all its schools, including charter schools like this one. The district placed a major capital construction bond on the November 2024 ballot, the largest in state history, to fund facility improvements, seismic retrofits, and safety upgrades across the system. At the same time, Portland Public Schools has experienced a notable enrollment decline since before the pandemic, prompting a long-range facility plan and a school consolidation process in 2024 and 2025 that has involved proposed closures and mergers. For a charter elementary school, these district-level budget pressures and facility discussions may shape the context in which the school operates, though the school’s charter status gives it some operational independence.
The housing market in this part of Portland is expensive. Home values and rents have both been rising, and the typical home price in the area is well above the national median. For families considering the neighborhood, the cost of housing is a significant factor, and the affordability gap between renting and buying is wide.
Portland itself is a major Pacific Northwest city with a strong identity around sustainability, urban planning, and a historically active civic culture. The economy is driven by technology, athletic and outdoor brands, healthcare, and shipping. The city has extensive public transit, a walkable downtown grid, and a nationally recognized bicycle network. The population has declined modestly since the 2020 census, but the metro area continues to grow. The city manages growth with an urban growth boundary, and development in recent decades has included major transit-oriented projects and gentrification that has reshaped some neighborhoods.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a small, diverse elementary school with clear literacy strength, a math performance dip that merits a conversation with the school, and a charter structure operating within a large urban district that is in the middle of financial and facility restructuring. The neighborhood is fully urban, walkable, expensive, and connected by transit. The school fits a family looking for a small-scale setting with strong early reading outcomes and a diverse peer environment, where the parent is comfortable engaging directly with the school about how it supports students in math and whether it provides services for the special populations whose data is not reported.
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