The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Union High School
Union High School serves grades seven through twelve in the small town of Union, located in the Grande Ronde Valley of eastern Oregon. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and is part of the Union SD 5 district. The school enrolls about as many students as you would expect for a combined middle and high school in a rural setting, and the student body is made up almost entirely of white students, with very small numbers of students who identify as Hispanic, American Indian, or two or more races. Just over half of the students come from households with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a figure that gives a sense of the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results place it below the midpoint among districts in Union County on a measure of overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In math, the proficiency rates in both seventh and eighth grades are on the lower side. In English language arts, the seventh-grade rate is higher, but the eighth-grade rate drops noticeably, pulling the combined ELA figure down. Science results, available only for eighth grade, also sit at a lower level. There is only one year of data available for these assessments, so there is no trend to examine. A parent considering this school may want to ask what academic interventions or supports are in place, particularly in math and science, and how the school addresses the drop in ELA proficiency between seventh and eighth grades.
State testing data for high school grades is not part of the provided records, which means there is no public information on how students in grades nine through twelve perform on state assessments. That gap is common for schools that serve both middle and high school grades, depending on which state tests are administered at which levels, but it does mean the academic picture here is incomplete. Similarly, no graduation rate is reported, so it is not possible to assess how many students finish high school in four years, and no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, or course access was available. Families may want to ask the school directly about these areas.
The community of Union is a small city with a historic Main Street lined with Victorian homes, and it has a stable, slow-growing population. Traditional industries of agriculture and timber have been joined by some tourism and outdoor recreation. Housing values in the area are below the state average but have risen over the past year, and the cost of buying a home here is lower than in many parts of Oregon, which may matter to families considering a move. The town’s civic anchors are its Carnegie Library, the Union County Museum, and the annual Eastern Oregon Livestock Show. There is no public transit system identified. The school is integrated into the small-town fabric rather than set apart on a distant campus.
The district itself does not appear to have undertaken any major changes in recent years that would be relevant to parents, based on the available research. What Union High School offers is a seven-through-twelve program in a rural, historic community where housing is more affordable than in much of the state. The academic proficiency numbers that are available point to areas where a family may want to dig deeper, especially in math and science, and the lack of graduation and absenteeism data leaves a meaningful gap in the picture. For a family that values a small school in a tight-knit town and is willing to ask those follow-up questions, this is a school worth learning more about directly from the staff.
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