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Vernon Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8
92nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 706 Oregon Elementary Schools
Better than 87% of Oregon elementary schools
Summary

Vernon Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Portland, Oregon, with 579 students. It is part of the Portland School District 1J, which is ranked 13 out of 140 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Vernon Elementary has seen a remarkable turnaround, improving its statewide ranking from the bottom quartile to the top 15% of Oregon elementary schools over the past decade.

Vernon Elementary consistently outperforms the Portland School District 1J and the state of Oregon in standardized test scores across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, Vernon's 3rd grade students scored 61.4% proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 55.4% for the district and 40.3% for the state. The school also has strong performance across diverse student groups, with its rankings for female, male, white, and multi-racial students all in the top quartile of Oregon elementary schools. Its performance for Hispanic students and special education students is also notably strong, ranking in the top 20% and top 5% respectively.

When compared to other elementary schools in the immediate vicinity, such as Boise-Eliot Elementary and Faubion Elementary, Vernon Elementary stands out as a high-performing outlier, with significantly higher test scores and rankings. While Vernon Elementary is a high-performing school, its chronic absenteeism rates are still relatively high, suggesting attendance and engagement may be an area for further focus and improvement.

564
Students ?
18.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$20,215
Per pupil spending ?
41.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 2044 NE Killingsworth St
       Portland, OR  97211-5599

(503) 916-6415

District: Portland School District 1J


Students who attend Vernon Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Jefferson High School
    Leodis V. McDaniel High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
53.7%
African American:
15.8%
Two or more races:
15.8%
more
 See top rated Oregon elementary schools

 Compare Vernon Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 18th percentile in 2014 → 87th in 2025
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Oregon average (55% vs 37% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 13% of Oregon elementary schools
✓Ranking is trending up — up 69 percentile points since 2014
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school55%
District avg52%
Oregon avg37%
Elementary school
92nd of 706
Oregon public elementary schools ?
Top 13%▲ up 49 pts since 2015
From bottom 38% (2015) to top 13% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Oregon Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
63rd of 368
Oregon public middle schools ?
Top 17%▲ up 65 pts since 2015
From bottom 18% (2015) to top 17% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Oregon Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
28th of 60Elementary Schools in the Portland School District 1J
13th of 140Portland School District 1J among Oregon districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202584.192 of 70687.0%★★★★☆
202467.6188 of 71073.5%★★★★☆
202364.6213 of 70669.8%★★★★☆
202284.381 of 70688.5%★★★★☆
201948.0359 of 70549.1%★★☆☆☆
201842.7407 of 70942.6%★★☆☆☆
201739.0438 of 70137.5%★★☆☆☆
201638.6438 of 69737.2%★★☆☆☆
201539.7440 of 70637.7%★★☆☆☆
201424.6571 of 69517.8%★☆☆☆☆
201331.6533 of 70724.6%★☆☆☆☆
201212.3689 of 7305.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201119.2630 of 6959.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201026.9556 of 67417.5%★☆☆☆☆
200933.2506 of 66523.9%★☆☆☆☆
200844.8404 of 65538.3%★★☆☆☆
200739.7425 of 65234.8%★★☆☆☆
200661.2263 of 63658.6%★★★☆☆
200578.977 of 62987.8%★★★★☆
200450.2321 of 58645.2%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202526.918 of 195.3%★☆☆☆☆
202318.217 of 185.6%★☆☆☆☆
201952.37 of 2268.2%★★★★☆
201836.626 of 3933.3%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202577.3116 of 65382.2%★★★★☆
202459.5218 of 65866.9%★★★☆☆
202365.5174 of 65273.3%★★★★☆
202283.879 of 64687.8%★★★★☆
201956.4266 of 62157.2%★★★☆☆
201842.9402 of 68141.0%★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202573.414 of 7581.3%★★★★☆
202462.321 of 4856.3%★★★☆☆
202284.51 of 3597.1%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202465.571 of 36580.5%★★★★☆
201826.9384 of 47519.2%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202562.5125 of 51875.9%★★★★☆
202432.8378 of 52327.7%★☆☆☆☆
202378.277 of 59587.1%★★★★☆
202284.778 of 70388.9%★★★★☆
201922.2522 of 59712.6%★☆☆☆☆
201815.4598 of 6406.6%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202586.970 of 66489.5%★★★★☆
202470.8154 of 66276.7%★★★★☆
202363.1209 of 66568.6%★★★☆☆
202277.0114 of 65482.6%★★★★☆
201940.4369 of 62340.8%★★☆☆☆
201844.9370 of 68045.6%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202587.49 of 7387.7%★★★★☆
202441.433 of 5438.9%★★☆☆☆
202320.549 of 6018.3%★☆☆☆☆
201826.0179 of 21215.6%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202593.513 of 35296.3%★★★★★
202479.826 of 29991.3%★★★★★
201848.5193 of 48159.9%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202593.528 of 66995.8%★★★★★
202483.987 of 67087.0%★★★★☆
202375.8123 of 65681.3%★★★★☆
202292.728 of 66695.8%★★★★★
201969.8168 of 66274.6%★★★★☆
201871.2168 of 68375.4%★★★★☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202575.563 of 36882.9%★★★★☆
202467.193 of 37174.9%★★★★☆
202372.466 of 38082.6%★★★★☆
202263.7106 of 36771.1%★★★★☆
201965.2108 of 37971.5%★★★★☆
201863.2122 of 38468.2%★★★☆☆
201735.5253 of 38233.8%★★☆☆☆
201634.7272 of 38329.0%★☆☆☆☆
201523.5311 of 38118.4%★☆☆☆☆
20145.7374 of 3822.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201315.1340 of 3779.8%★☆☆☆☆
201215.2367 of 3957.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201120.4318 of 35710.9%★☆☆☆☆
201021.7304 of 34311.4%★☆☆☆☆
20097.2315 of 3232.5%☆☆☆☆☆
200836.8227 of 31527.9%★☆☆☆☆
200717.6266 of 2959.8%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202423.721 of 238.7%★☆☆☆☆
201966.04 of 2382.6%★★★★☆
201833.531 of 4022.5%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202572.568 of 31678.5%★★★★☆
202468.174 of 31376.4%★★★★☆
202362.593 of 32371.2%★★★★☆
202258.0113 of 31063.5%★★★☆☆
201949.9132 of 27752.3%★★★☆☆
201850.5167 of 34251.2%★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202463.136 of 10365.0%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202557.473 of 24069.6%★★★☆☆
202427.0193 of 24420.9%★☆☆☆☆
202388.214 of 31295.5%★★★★★
202264.1103 of 36471.7%★★★★☆
201937.7173 of 28238.7%★★☆☆☆
201845.9171 of 32547.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202575.860 of 33081.8%★★★★☆
202462.097 of 32370.0%★★★★☆
202382.539 of 31887.7%★★★★☆
202267.975 of 31276.0%★★★★☆
201969.375 of 29174.2%★★★★☆
201869.882 of 34176.0%★★★★☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202572.625 of 13381.2%★★★★☆
202451.647 of 12562.4%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOregon percentileRating
202589.429 of 35191.7%★★★★★
202483.140 of 34988.5%★★★★☆
202390.227 of 36092.5%★★★★★
202285.532 of 35591.0%★★★★★
201990.120 of 34494.2%★★★★★
201884.139 of 35789.1%★★★★☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Elementary school
Special Education (2025)96th percentile+9 vs school
White (2025)96th percentile+9 vs school
Male (2025)89th percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2025)88th percentile~ school
Female (2025)82nd percentile-5 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2025)81st percentile-6 vs school
Hispanic (2024)81st percentile+7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)76th percentile-11 vs school
African American (2025)5th percentile-82 vs school
Middle school
White (2025)92nd percentile+9 vs school
Male (2025)82nd percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2025)81st percentile~ school
Female (2025)78th percentile-4 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)70th percentile-13 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2024)65th percentile-10 vs school
African American (2024)9th percentile-66 vs school
By subject vs Oregon (2024-2025) ?
Science56%+27 vs state
English Language Arts56%+13 vs state
Mathematics53%+20 vs state

3.0
3 ratings · 2 written reviews
5★0
4★2
3★0
2★0
1★1
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, September 8, 2011

Open Quote It's been a great experience for my child thus far. By the end of PK he had learned as much as the average first grader. Close Quote


by a student
Sunday, November 29, 2009

Open Quote When I used to go to this school as a child I used to get picked on all the time always by the same 3 girls who happened to be sisters. I would get beat up and chocked right outside the school. My mother would have many meetings with the principal and not once was something done. Then the day that I finally slapped a girl, I got put on a sticker chart by the principal. I personally am not racist, I love everyone the same. However when I went to this school it was mostly black students. I was white. The girls who picked on me were black and so was the principal, and I honestly think it had to do with racism on their part and that's why nothing was ever done for me. I went to that school all the way from pre k to 5th grade and nothing was ever done.
Also I did not have the perfect mother growing up and I would miss SO MUCH school and never did they question my mother about why I wasn't going to school. When I did go to school I would have holes in my clothes and not once did anyone try to help me. I hated this school so much that I would fake being sick so I wouldn't have to go. It's been about 10 years since I graduated from this school so things very well could have changed since then, but there's also a possibility they haven't. I will never send my children there regardless. Just because of the bad experience I had. Good luck!!! Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about Vernon Elementary School

Students who attend Vernon Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Jefferson High School
High : Leodis V. McDaniel High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 564 students attended Vernon Elementary School.

Vernon Elementary School ranks 92nd of 706 Oregon elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Vernon Elementary School are 54% White, 16% African American, 16% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 1% Not Specified, 1% American Indian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Oregon Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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