Summary:
Sweet Home School District 55 contains five elementary schools — Oak Heights Elementary School, Foster Elementary School, Hawthorne Elementary School, Holley Elementary School, and Sweet Home Charter School — all serving grades K–6, with 1,139 students total and individual enrollments ranging from 142 to 303. The district ranks 76th of 141 in Oregon (46th percentile, 2 stars), and its all-grade proficiency trails the state in every tested subject: English language arts 37.4% vs 43.8%, math 28.9% vs 32.9%, and science 20.8% vs 30.6%. Every school has a high free/reduced-lunch rate, from 62.68% to about 75%, and chronic absenteeism is a widespread concern.
Sweet Home Charter School is the standout: 111th of 709 schools (84th percentile, 4 stars) and the only school above state averages in all three subjects (ELA 58.8%, math 62.5%, science 40.0%), with the lowest chronic absenteeism (24.5%) and lowest free/reduced-lunch rate (62.68%). It also reports the lowest per-student spending ($5,755) and highest student/teacher ratio (23.6). Among traditional district schools, Holley Elementary School leads: 302nd (57th percentile, 3 stars), with math at 36.4% above both district and state, though its 5th-grade math is reported as under 5%.
Oak Heights Elementary School excels in science (45.9%, far above district and state) but sits below state in ELA and math despite the highest spending ($25,164 per student). Hawthorne Elementary School has the lowest absenteeism among traditional schools (27.7%) yet science is only 6.7%. Foster Elementary School is the clearest concern, slipping from 54th percentile with 3 stars to 31st percentile with 2 stars, with the highest absenteeism (42.1%) and free/reduced-lunch rate (75.09%) and science at 5.1%. Science proficiency varies enormously across these schools, and spending does not track closely with results.
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