Middle Schools in Parkrose School District 3

Parkrose School District 3 in Portland, Oregon has just one middle school, Parkrose Middle School, which serves grades 6–8 and enrolls 618 students. Because it is the only middle school in the district, there are no in-district peer schools to compare, so the most useful benchmarks are the district and Oregon state averages. For context, the school reports a student-teacher ratio of 17.8 and per-student spending of $19,276 for 2024–2025.

Academically, Parkrose Middle School ranks 313 out of 371 Oregon middle schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 16th percentile with 1 star — consistent with 2024–2025 and 2023–2024, so this is not a one-year dip. The Parkrose School District 3 itself ranks 136 out of 141, in the 4th percentile with 0 stars. The school trails the state in every subject: ELA all grades is 29.8% versus 43.8% statewide, math is 14.6% versus 32.9%, and science is 10.3% versus 30.6%. The widest gaps are in science and math. The clearest bright spot is 6th grade ELA at 40.9%, essentially matching the state's 41.8%, while 7th grade ELA (24.5%) and 8th grade ELA (21.3%) fall about 20 points below the state. Math also slips by grade, and 8th grade math (10.9%) and science sit near the state's lowest levels.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 47.9% of students are chronically absent, above the district's 45.5% and well above the state's 33.5%. High spending alongside low proficiency and rankings raises questions about how resources are targeted, though the data here cannot establish cause. One figure, free/reduced lunch reported at 128.8%, is not a valid percentage and should be treated as a reporting anomaly to verify. Overall, this school is among Oregon's lower-performing middle schools, with 6th grade ELA as its main strength and 7th–8th grade literacy, middle-grade math and science, and absenteeism as the areas most worth investigating.