Schools in Pendleton, OR

The city of Pendleton, Oregon is home to 9 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The schools in this district serve a high-need population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 64.47% to 85.96%. While the district as a whole is ranked 92nd out of 140 districts in Oregon, there are some standout schools that are worth highlighting.

McKay Creek Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. It has strong test scores, with 67.4% of 5th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts and 46.7% proficient or better in Mathematics. In contrast, Sherwood Heights Elementary School and Hawthorne Alternative High School have lower performance, suggesting a need to understand the factors contributing to these disparities and implement strategies to support the lower-performing schools.

Another standout is Nixyaawii Community School, a public charter high school that has shown impressive performance, ranking 65th out of 270 Oregon high schools in the 2024-2025 school year and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has a high 4-year graduation rate of 81.8% and strong test scores, with 54.5% of 11th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts. However, the district as a whole faces persistent challenges around test scores, chronic absenteeism, and funding disparities, which need to be addressed to improve educational outcomes for all students in the Pendleton School District 16.