Three Rivers Charter School, West Linn OR

Original Research by School Decision on Three Rivers Charter School

Three Rivers Charter School is a small, public charter school in West Linn, Oregon, serving grades four through eight. It is part of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, though as a charter it operates with its own identity and focus. The school is a mid-sized school for its middle-grade band, and it sits in an affluent, well-educated suburb of Portland.

West Linn is a predominantly residential community with a high standard of living, a high proportion of residents holding college degrees, and a housing market that is correspondingly expensive. Home values and rents in the area are well above national and state benchmarks, reflecting the desirability of the community. The town has limited commercial and industrial land, with most residents commuting to Portland or other metro-area employment centers. This economic context matters because it shapes the baseline of resources and peer environment families will find at the school.

The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian population and a significant share of students identifying as two or more races. The Hispanic population is a small share. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, on students with disabilities, and on English learners was not available, so a full picture of the school’s socioeconomic and support-need profile is not possible from the provided information.

On academic performance, the school shows a mixed but generally strong picture in its state assessment results, and it is positioned in the top quartile for overall proficiency among districts in Clackamas County. In math, proficiency rates across grades four through eight are consistently above the midpoint in most grades, with the sixth grade being a clear soft spot where proficiency is notably lower than the school’s own averages. English language arts results follow a similar pattern; most grades show a solid share of students meeting the bar, but the sixth grade again sits notably lower than the other grade levels. In science, the available data shows a contrast: fifth-grade proficiency is well below the school’s own averages, while eighth-grade science performance is strong. A parent considering this school may want to look into the sixth-grade dip further with the school to understand whether it reflects a specific cohort effect, a transition challenge, or something else.

Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate data to consider. The school also lacks multi-year trend data; only a single year of results was available, so it is not possible to assess whether performance is improving or declining over time.

The school operates as a regular charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but has some flexibility in its curriculum and operations. Feeder patterns into the district’s high schools are shaped by recent district changes; as of 2025, the district phased out middle school choice zones, consolidating feeder patterns to reduce busing complexity. A new primary school is also under construction in the district, expected to open in 2026, which will affect attendance boundaries in the coming years. These are district-level shifts that may matter to families planning ahead.

Overall, Three Rivers Charter School serves a small, academically solid middle-grade population in a well-resourced suburban community. Its test results are generally strong, especially in upper grades, with a known soft spot in sixth grade across both math and reading that merits a closer look. The school’s small size and charter status likely offer a different feel than the district’s larger traditional middle schools, but the data does not provide a direct picture of the school’s specific instructional approach, extracurricular offerings, or culture. Families drawn to a small, charter setting with generally strong academic results will find a serious option here, but the gaps in the data on student support needs and on the school’s own program details mean that a visit and a conversation with the school are essential to get the full picture.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 55% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 52% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 50% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 47% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 46% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 60% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 68% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 58% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 62% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 57% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 48% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 39% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

This schoolWest Linn-Wilsonville SD 3J, 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.