Summary:
The Woodburn School District 103 in Oregon is home to 5 elementary schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. While the district as a whole struggles with low academic achievement, one school, Woodburn Arthur Academy, stands out as a consistent high performer, outpacing the district and state in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency.
The other schools in the district, including Heritage Elementary, Lincoln Elementary School, Nellie Muir Elementary School, and Washington Elementary School, all have very low test scores compared to the state average. For example, in 2024-2025, only 9.3% of 3rd graders in the district were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 40.3% statewide. However, Woodburn Arthur Academy bucked this trend, with 37.5% of its 3rd graders achieving proficiency that year.
Across the district, schools face significant challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism (over 34%) and very high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (over 72%), indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. While spending per student varies, the data suggests that additional resources alone may not be the solution, as Woodburn Arthur Academy achieves stronger results with lower per-student spending than some of the other schools. The success of the charter school model at Woodburn Arthur Academy points to the potential for alternative educational approaches to drive improvements in the district.
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