Kelso Elementary School, Boring OR

Original Research by School Decision on Kelso Elementary School

Kelso Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Oregon Trail School District 46, located in the unincorporated community of Boring, Oregon. Boring is a rural bedroom community in Clackamas County, known for its dairy farms, plant nurseries, and berry farms. The area is car-dependent, with Oregon Route running through the center, and the Springwater Corridor rail trail begins near the middle school, providing a path for walking and cycling. The largest employer is a local church, and the area has debated becoming a legally recognized village but remains unincorporated. Housing values in the community are well above state and national medians, reflecting the area’s desirability as a commuter base.

The student body is predominantly white, with a much smaller share of Hispanic students and very small numbers from other racial groups. A substantial proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a notable level of economic need within the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records we reviewed.

State assessment results are available for grades three through five in math and English language arts, and for grade five in science. In reading, proficiency rates varied by grade, with fifth grade showing the strongest performance and fourth grade the weakest. Math proficiency followed a similar pattern, with fourth grade producing the lowest results, while third and fifth grades were stronger. Science proficiency for fifth graders was lower than both reading and math at that grade. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed above the midpoint relative to districts in Clackamas County, suggesting that Kelso Elementary performs reasonably well compared to its county peers. That said, the uneven results by grade and subject may be worth discussing with the school, particularly the lower reading and math proficiency in fourth grade and the science results for fifth graders.

While the school offers no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate, and data on chronic absenteeism was not reported, the district context adds a layer of information for families. The Oregon Trail School District passed a capital construction bond in 2020 that funded facility improvements, including safety upgrades, roof replacements, HVAC systems, and classroom modernization across the district. The district also moved to full-day kindergarten, a change that eliminates the need for mid-day pickup and childcare for a half-day program.

For a family considering this area, Kelso Elementary offers a moderate-sized elementary setting in a rural community with a predominantly white student body and a notable share of students from lower-income households. Its academic performance, while mixed by grade, sits above the county midpoint overall, and district investments have updated facilities and expanded early learning time.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 51% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 51% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 49% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 53% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 62% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 35% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolOregon Trail SD 46, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.