Best Public Schools in Gilchrist, OR

Gilchrist, Oregon has two schools serving local students: Gilchrist Elementary School for grades K–6 with 125 students, and Gilchrist Junior/Senior High School for grades 7–12 with 105 students, both in the Klamath County School District and located at 201 Mountain View Dr.

The two schools are moving in opposite directions. Gilchrist Elementary School improved from 18th percentile and 1 star in 2023–2024 to 47th percentile and 2 stars in 2025–2026, ranking 375 of 709. Its all-grades ELA is 42.9% proficient, math 30.9%, and science 36.4%, with science above the state. But chronic absenteeism is 44.6%, above district 31.0% and state 33.5%. Gilchrist Junior/Senior High School fell from 70th percentile and 3 stars in 2024–2025 to 25th percentile and 1 star in 2025–2026, ranking 203 of 271. Its all-grades ELA is 27.3%, math 14.3%, and science 23.1%; 11th grade math is 7.1%. Chronic absenteeism is 59.6%, and graduation rate is 80.0%.

For parents, the elementary school is the more encouraging story, with near-state ELA and math and above-state science, though attendance needs attention. The junior/senior high is the more urgent story: very low math and ELA, high absenteeism, and a graduation rate below district and state. The Klamath County School District ranks 78 of 141, 45th percentile, 2 stars. Both schools serve very high-poverty populations: free/reduced lunch is 93.6% at the elementary and 98.1% at the high school. The high school spends $37,495 per student with an 8.9:1 student/teacher ratio, yet outcomes remain weak in this data. Some grade-level results are suppressed by the state, including 3rd grade ELA/math and 7th grade ELA/math, so those are unknown, not zero.