Sauvie Island School, Portland OR

Original Research by School Decision on Sauvie Island School

Sauvie Island School sits on a large, sparsely populated island in the Willamette River, within Portland’s city limits but a world apart from the downtown core. It is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade, authorized by the Scappoose School District. The school is small, with enrollment in the low hundreds, and each grade typically holds a single class of about two dozen students. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic share and very small numbers of other racial groups. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a fairly standard figure for the area.

The school’s academic performance stands out relative to other Multnomah County school districts. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places Sauvie Island in the top quarter of the county’s districts. In math, results are notably strong in the early and upper elementary grades, with particularly high marks in third and seventh grade. English language arts proficiency is also solid for most grades, though fifth grade reading lags behind the rest of the school’s pattern. Science, which is assessed in fifth and eighth grade, shows moderate proficiency rates. There is only one year of state assessment data available, so trends over time cannot be assessed.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data to consider. Information on special education identification and English learner status is missing, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those students are served. The school does not report chronic absenteeism or discipline data in the available records.

The housing market in the school’s ZIP code is expensive, with typical home values well above both Oregon and national benchmarks. This reflects the desirability of the island’s rural character, farmland, and proximity to Portland. Mortgage rates and rents in the broader economy are at levels that make homeownership a stretch for many households, as is common across the metro area.

Sauvie Island School is part of the Scappoose School District, which is based in Columbia County. The district has publicly discussed a long-range facility plan that would close an elementary school elsewhere in the district and change grade configurations for elementary and middle schools. This plan does not directly affect Sauvie Island, but families considering the district should be aware that future boundary or program changes could influence school assignments for students beyond the charter school itself.

For a family looking for a small, community-oriented K-8 environment with a rural feel within commuting distance of Portland, Sauvie Island School offers a distinctive option. Its academic results are generally above the county average, particularly in math. The island’s isolation and small scale are likely a draw for some and a limitation for others. The absence of high school on site means families must plan for the transition to either the Scappoose district’s high school or another option.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 383%

School 83% · District 50% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 43% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 38% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 39% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 773%

School 73% · District 40% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 34% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 47% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 53% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 58% · ▼ 12 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 46% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 764%

School 64% · District 59% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 48% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 44% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 43% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolScappoose SD 1J, 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.