The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Union Elementary School
Union Elementary School in Union, Oregon, serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade and is the only elementary school in Union SD 5, a small district in the Grande Ronde Valley of eastern Oregon. For a parent or resident looking at this school, the full picture starts with what the community itself offers and then moves to what happens inside the building.
Union is a small city with a strong historic identity, known for its Victorian-era homes and a Main Street that forms a walkable historic core. Agriculture and timber have long been the economic base, with some tourism and outdoor recreation adding to the mix. The population has been fairly stable over time; the town was bypassed by a major railroad line in the late eighteenth century, which slowed growth and left it with a quiet, relatively unchanged character. There is no public transit system identified in available sources, and major employers are not extensively documented beyond Oregon State University's Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, which is housed in the former train station in town. The setting is rural and low-density, and families considering the school should expect a small-town environment where civic and commercial life centers on Main Street.
The school itself is a regular public school with an enrollment of about that size for an elementary serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The student body is predominantly white, which reflects the broader community demographics. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a meaningful portion of families in the attendance area are managing on lower incomes.
State assessment results from the most recent school year are available for math and English language arts across grades three through six. In English language arts, proficiency rates varied by grade, with a combined rate across all tested grades that placed the school below the midpoint among the county's districts. A similar pattern appeared in math, where the overall proficiency rate was lower, and the school's combined performance across subjects and grades fell in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Union County. Science results for grade five were reported in a range too small to display, which may reflect a small number of students tested, though the data does not specify the reason. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to consider here, and no chronic absenteeism data was available for the comparison set. The academic picture is one where a parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around how instruction supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
The district brief turned up no specific parent-relevant changes such as boundary re-draws, program closures, or bond measures that would alter a family's experience in the near term. That means the school is likely operating on a stable footing without major shifts on the horizon, though it also means there is little publicly reported information about district-level initiatives or strategic priorities to share.
The housing market in the Union area, based on the zip code data, shows home values that are lower than the statewide benchmark, with values rising at a moderate pace. Mortgage costs and rents are both below national averages, making the area comparatively affordable for homebuyers and renters. For a family moving to the area, this affordability is a notable feature, but it should be weighed against the limited local employment base and the modest academic proficiency outcomes at the elementary school.
Union Elementary is a small, historic-community school serving a predominantly white, lower-income student body in a stable rural town. Its academic results are below those of many neighboring districts in Union County, and a family considering the school should expect to engage actively with teachers and administrators to understand the supports available for students who need additional help. The school itself has a neighborhood feel, integrated into the town's Main Street fabric rather than set apart on a large campus. For a family that values a quiet, affordable setting and a school small enough to know every child, Union Elementary fits that description, though the academic numbers warrant a direct conversation with the school about its approach.
See more original research from School Decision →