The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Glenfair Elementary School
Glenfair Elementary School is a regular public school in Portland’s Reynolds School District 7, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a neighborhood school, and its enrollment is moderate for an elementary building in this grade range. Virtually every student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that places the school in a high-poverty context. The student body is diverse: the largest groups are Hispanic students, followed by Black students and White students, with Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, two-or-more-races, and American Indian or Alaska Native students each making up smaller shares.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year are available for grades three through five in English language arts and math, and for fifth grade in science. Across all tested subjects and grades, proficiency rates are low. In math, the share of students meeting the state bar is in the single digits or low teens depending on the grade level. In English language arts, proficiency rates are higher than in math but still below one in four students. In fifth-grade science, the rate is in the single digits. When compared with other school districts in Multnomah County, Glenfair’s overall proficiency across tested subjects places it in the bottom quartile. The district’s own average proficiency across all subjects is also modest relative to the county’s middle and top performers. Because only one year of assessment data was available for the school, no trend—improving, declining, or stable—could be established.
The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies. Other measures that are often part of a full school picture, such as chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, and staffing ratios, were not reported in the data we reviewed. Information on specialized programs—such as gifted and talented offerings, dual-language tracks, or after-school enrichment—was likewise absent. A parent interested in those details would need to reach out to the school directly. The data also did not include counts or rates for students receiving special education services or English learner support, though given the school’s demographic profile, these are likely substantial populations.
Glenfair is located in Portland, a large and economically diverse city. The school sits in the eastern part of the city, within the Reynolds district boundaries. Housing values in the area are roughly in line with the state median, and rents have been rising gradually. The national context shows a stable but elevated mortgage rate environment. For families considering moving into the attendance area, home prices are moderate by Portland standards, though the cost of living in the city overall has increased in recent years. The Reynolds school district has not undergone any notable recent changes that surfaced in public records; no bond measures, boundary shifts, or major curriculum overhauls were identified in the district brief.
For a parent or resident evaluating Glenfair, the picture is clear. This is a school serving a student population with high economic need. Academic proficiency on state tests is well below the county average, and the school’s relative position within Multnomah County is in the bottom quarter. This does not mean the school lacks strengths, but a family choosing Glenfair should expect to engage directly with the school about how it supports core instruction, what interventions are available for students who are behind grade level, and what enrichment or supplemental programs exist. The absence of data on special populations and programs means that those conversations are especially important. Portland’s broader context offers many options for elementary education, including other district schools and public charter schools, so Glenfair’s profile is one part of a larger set of choices.
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