Summary
Stayton Middle School is a 486-student school serving grades 4–8 in Stayton, Oregon, part of the North Santiam School District 29J. It ranked 287th of 371 Oregon middle schools in 2025-2026 — the bottom quartile, at 23rd percentile with 1 star — and has placed between 285th and 303rd in every one of the past five reported years. Its own district ranks 45th percentile, so the school is performing below the district it belongs to, not just below the state. About 67.9% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
On 2025-2026 state tests, 35.1% of students met standards in English language arts, 19.1% in math, and 17.5% in science — all below both the district (41.6%, 28.9%, 27.7%) and the state (43.8%, 32.9%, 30.6%). The closest comparison is Cascade Junior High School, 5.5 miles away, which serves a similar share of low-income students (63.7%), spends less per student ($16,720 vs. Stayton's $18,462), and has larger classes (18.8 students per teacher vs. 15.6) — yet roughly doubles Stayton's proficiency: 62.0% in ELA, 40.0% in math, 42.3% in science. Scio Middle School, spending $12,596 per student, also posts stronger math and science results. Chronic absenteeism, at 31.3%, is better than the district (35.3%) and state (33.5%) averages and has fallen from 46.6% in 2021-22.
Math and science look like the clearest instructional priorities: math falls below district and state at every grade, from 30.3% in 4th grade to just 13.0% in 5th, then 16.7%, 20.9%, and 16.5% in grades 6 through 8. Attendance has improved 15 points in three years without moving the school's rank, which suggests instruction and intervention — not getting students in the building — are the binding constraint. One bright spot: the school's rankings for Hispanic students, low-income students, and students with disabilities sit in the 36th–40th percentile range, above its overall 23rd percentile.
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