Central School District 13J

Central School District 13J serves about 3,050 students across five schools — three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school — in the Monmouth and Independence area of Polk County, Oregon. The district is rated 1 star and ranked 120 of 141 in Oregon, at the 15th percentile, and every school carries that same district rating. Poverty is high and nearly uniform: free/reduced-lunch rates run from 92.95% to 94.55%, only about 1.6 percentage points apart. Per-student spending ranges from $17,782 at Ash Creek to $19,907 at Central High, and student-teacher ratios range from 18.8 to 21.6.

Monmouth Elementary School is the district's clear standout: the only 3-star school, ranked 317 of 709 (55th percentile), and the only school above the district average in all three subjects — ELA 47.3%, math 37.7%, science 27.2% — and above the state in ELA and math. At the other end, Independence Elementary School ranks 611 of 709 (14th percentile, 1 star), with the district's highest chronic absenteeism at 48.6% and lowest ELA at 26.8%. Central High School, the largest school at 1,008 students, shows a sharp subject split: ELA is 42.9%, near the state's 43.8%, but math is 7.0% and science 13.1%. Talmadge Middle School sits at the 26th percentile with slow improvement, while Ash Creek Elementary School has the lowest spending and lowest absenteeism (33.3%) yet low achievement.

Two things stand out for families. First, spending and ratios do not line up neatly with results — the two highest-spending schools post the weakest math and science, while mid-range Monmouth produces the strongest outcomes. Second, the district's 1-star label hides wide variation: within Central School District 13J, school experiences range from 3-star, 55th-percentile success to a 14th-percentile school with severe absenteeism.