Willamette Connections Academy, Scio OR

Original Research by School Decision on Willamette Connections Academy

Willamette Connections Academy is a public charter school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade, authorized by the Scio School District but operating as a full-time online program that draws students from across Oregon. The school lists a physical address in the small, rural Linn County town of Scio, though families do not attend a central campus. The school enrolls a large student body for a charter of this type, with enrollment spread across all grade levels and a noticeable bulge in the upper grades, particularly high school. The student population is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic cohort and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races; Black, Asian, and Native American students are each present in very small numbers. Data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available in the source data, so a parent should ask the school directly about the extent of those support services.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, Willamette Connections Academy’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile among districts in Linn County. That is a strong showing for a first year of data, but the school has only a single year of results, so there is no trend to judge yet. In English language arts, proficiency rates were around the midpoint in third and fourth grade, dropped in fifth grade, and then settled in a range near the midpoint for grades six through eight. Math results followed a similar pattern: third and fourth graders were around the midpoint, fifth grade saw a notable drop, and upper elementary and middle grades clustered somewhat below that level. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grade also ran below the middle mark. A single year of testing from an online school population, where students test in person at a designated location, can be influenced by factors like test-day logistics and student familiarity with the assessment format; parents may want to discuss how the school prepares students for these tests.

The school does not serve a traditional attendance zone, so the housing market context is the market where each family lives, not a single neighborhood. For families considering a move to Scio, the town is a very small, rural community with a handful of Main Street storefronts and deep agricultural roots. It promotes itself as the Covered Bridge Capital of the West and hosts the nation’s oldest sheepdog trials at the annual Lamb & Wool Fair. The downtown is compact, walkability is limited to that immediate area, and surrounding roads are quiet country backroads. There is no public transit. Law enforcement is contracted through the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. Civic anchors include the Scio Historical Depot Museum, the ZCBJ Hall, Roaring River Park, and the Roaring River Fish Hatchery. Housing values in Scio’s zip code are above the state median, with a modest year-over-year increase, and sit well above the national median. The town’s population has been roughly flat or slightly declining in recent years; no major new housing developments were mentioned in search results. For a family choosing this online school, the housing decision is separate from the school enrollment decision.

No recent parent-relevant changes were found for the Scio School District in publicly available sources. That may reflect the fact that the charter school operates under the district’s oversight but serves a statewide population, so district-level developments have less direct bearing on the school’s daily operation than they would for a traditional brick-and-mortar school. A parent considering this school will want to learn directly from the school about its curriculum, teacher interaction model, pacing, and how it handles state testing logistics. The available academic data provides a single snapshot, not a trend line, so the school’s real character will emerge from conversation and from checking in with current families.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

80-89%Cohort of 43 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

326 schools plotted. 10 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 48% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 36% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 30% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 39% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 31% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 40% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 38% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 44% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 35% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 44% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 41%

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 536%

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

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 28% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolScio SD 95, 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.