South Wasco County Elementary School

South Wasco County Elementary School is a small PK–5 school serving 80 students in Maupin, OR, a rural area with no other schools within 20 miles; it belongs to South Wasco County School District 1, which is rated 84th of 141 Oregon districts, about the 40th percentile with 2 stars. The school is in a clear academic upswing: in 2025–2026 it ranked 296 out of 709 schools, or the 58th percentile with 3 stars, up from 39th percentile and 2 stars the year before, and its best recent result since 2016–2017. Since no nearby school data is available, the best comparisons are to the district and state.

Math and science are relative strengths. All-grades math is 10.3 percentage points above the state and 12.4 points above the district, while science is 4.4 points above the state. English language arts is essentially at the state average and above the district. Grade-level results vary widely: 4th-grade math is 70% versus 38.9% statewide, but 4th-grade ELA is 30% versus 43.5% statewide. The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism: 44.4% in 2024–2025, which is 10.9 points above the state, though it improved from 52.5% the previous year.

Economic need is very high, with free/reduced lunch at 98.75%. Per-student spending rose from $24,010 in 2021–2022 to $31,742 in 2024–2025, a 32.2% increase, while the student–teacher ratio also rose, from 10.7 to 13.3. Subgroup effectiveness has improved: male and female students now rank around the 55th–61st percentile, and the most recent low-income subgroup result was 53rd percentile. With only 80 students, grade-level percentages can swing dramatically from a few students, so single-year numbers should be interpreted with caution.