The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lewis & Clark Elementary School
Lewis & Clark Elementary School in St. Helens is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of the elementary schools within the St. Helens School District, the K-12 system for this Columbia River community. The school's student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population representing the next largest group. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a significant proportion of families with lower household incomes.
The school is situated in St. Helens, the county seat of Columbia County, a city that sits on the Columbia River about a half-hour drive northwest of Portland. Historically a timber and quarry town, St. Helens now functions partly as a bedroom community for Portland commuters, a shift driven by lower real estate prices and a small-town feel that has recently attracted families. This has contributed to rapid population growth in St. Helens in recent years. The city's historic Riverfront District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers shops, restaurants, and community events, and the broader area includes parks and walking trails along the river. The local housing market reflects a mix of the city's historic stock and newer development, with home values in the area falling below state benchmarks and rents more moderate than those in Portland.
The data available for Lewis & Clark Elementary covers a single year of state assessment results from the 2024-2025 school year. Across the tested grades and subjects, overall proficiency was below the midpoint when compared to other school districts in Columbia County. In math, proficiency was at a level that would give many families pause, with the figures for third, fourth, and fifth graders all clustering within a similar range. English language arts results were somewhat stronger but still modest, with one grade showing a noticeably higher proficiency rate than the others. Science results, tested only in fifth grade, were at a level similar to the lower-end math scores.
These assessment results represent a single snapshot, and no multi-year trend data is available to indicate whether the school's performance is improving or declining. A parent considering Lewis & Clark would likely want to have a direct conversation with the school about its instructional strategies and any interventions in place to raise student achievement, especially in math and science. The school's class sizes appear typical for an elementary school of its enrollment, and the student body is relatively stable across the elementary grades. No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios, so a fuller picture of the daily learning environment would require a visit and discussion with the school's administration.
For families in the St. Helens area, Lewis & Clark Elementary serves as a neighborhood school in a growing community. The school itself is a straightforward elementary building, and the district operates separate campuses for each school level. The key considerations for a family are the clear academic challenges indicated by the state assessment data and the opportunity to engage directly with the school to understand how they are addressing them.
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