The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Science. The lowest is 18% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on The Community Roots School
The Community Roots School is a public charter school in Silverton serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of the Silver Falls School District, which operates a number of elementary schools across the town and surrounding communities. The school itself is small, a size that is common for a charter elementary. Its enrollment skews heavily white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a similarly small share of students identifying as two or more races. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not provided, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Testing results are available for only a portion of the grades and subjects. For third grade, where state assessment data was reported, proficiency rates in math and English language arts were relatively low, meaning fewer than one in four students met the state’s proficiency standard in math, and fewer than one in five did so in reading. For fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the state suppressed results because the tested group was too small to report, a common practice when enrollment numbers are low. Science results for fifth grade, where data was available, showed that roughly half of students met the proficiency bar. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared with other schools in Marion County.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to examine, and the standard high school metrics do not apply. The school’s charter status means it operates with some autonomy from the district, though it remains a public school open to all students in the area. No information was available about specific program offerings, such as arts, STEM, or enrichment, so a family interested in a particular focus would need to contact the school.
Silverton itself is a small city in the Willamette Valley with an agricultural heritage. Its downtown has a walkable commercial core along Silver Creek, with cafes, restaurants, and a historic theater. The Oregon Garden, a large botanical park, is a notable local attraction. Silverton’s population grew over the prior decade but has since flattened slightly. The school campuses, including Community Roots, sit on separate grounds away from the downtown center. The Silver Falls district built a new high school campus in recent years, financed by a voter-approved bond, and razed the old building. No other major district-wide changes were reported in available sources.
Housing in Silverton’s zip code is priced above the national median, consistent with much of Oregon’s Willamette Valley market. Monthly rent is also above the national typical level. The median household income nationwide sits in the mid-eighties, though the specific figure for Silverton was not directly provided; the housing context suggests that owning a home in this area requires a solid income.
For a family considering The Community Roots School, the picture is one of a small charter elementary with modest academic results in the few grades where testing was reportable. The low math and reading proficiency in third grade and the school’s position below the middle of the county’s schools are points a parent would want to discuss with the staff. The school’s size and charter status may offer a closer-knit environment, but without further detail on curriculum or enrichment, the academic program itself remains somewhat opaque from the data available. A visit and a conversation with the principal would be the natural next step.
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