Best Public Schools in Damascus, OR

The city of Damascus, Oregon is home to two elementary schools: Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary and Deep Creek - Damascus K-8 School. Both schools consistently rank in the top half of Oregon elementary schools, with Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary earning a 3-star rating and Deep Creek - Damascus K-8 School earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary outperforms the North Clackamas School District 12 and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, particularly in the lower grades. However, it has a relatively high free and reduced lunch rate of 47.81%, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students. In contrast, Deep Creek - Damascus K-8 School, which is part of the Gresham-Barlow School District 10J, has a lower free and reduced lunch rate of 36.29% and outperforms the district and state averages in the upper grades.

Both schools face a significant challenge with high chronic absenteeism rates, at 34.3% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is substantially higher than the state average. While Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary spends more per student at $21,943, compared to $17,793 per student at Deep Creek - Damascus K-8 School, this higher spending does not necessarily translate to higher academic performance across all subjects and grade levels. The findings suggest that factors beyond just funding, such as teaching quality, curriculum, and school leadership, play a significant role in student outcomes.