Willamette Leadership Academy, Springfield OR

Original Research by School Decision on Willamette Leadership Academy

Willamette Leadership Academy is a public charter school in Springfield, Oregon, serving grades six through twelve. It operates as a regular school within Springfield SD 19, but as a charter it operates with its own autonomy. The enrollment is small relative to many secondary schools, and the student body is predominantly White, with a notable share of Hispanic students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a school community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

The school’s academic performance stands out as a key concern. On state assessments, proficiency rates in math, reading, and science are very low across the tested grades. For sixth grade, where a specific result was published, the proficiency rate was below one in ten students. For seventh and eighth grades, the state suppressed exact figures due to small group sizes and reported only that proficiency fell within the lowest possible range. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Lane County. No graduation rate was available, which means there is no publicly reported measure of whether students are completing high school here. Because the school serves high school grades, the absence of this metric is notable—parents may wish to ask the school directly about graduation outcomes.

Springfield itself is a mid-sized city in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, historically tied to the timber industry but now more diverse, with healthcare as the largest employer. The city has distinct neighborhood areas, and the school is located on Q Street. Housing values in the area trend below the statewide benchmark, and rents have risen in recent years. The broader district, Springfield SD 19, had no recent notable changes reported in available sources.

For a family evaluating this school, the academic data raises clear questions about student achievement. The school’s charter status and small size may mean a different structure or culture than a traditional district school, but the available data does not describe any specific programmatic offerings or teaching approach—the “programs” field was empty. The school’s name signals a leadership focus, but no curriculum details were recorded here. Without graduation rates, course access information, or attendance data, it is difficult to assess long-term outcomes or the school’s overall environment. Parents considering Willamette Leadership Academy will likely want to visit, speak with staff, and ask about the school’s mission, support systems, and how it prepares students for life after high school.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 18 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 68%

School 8% · District 26% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 41% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

This schoolSpringfield SD 19, 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.