Calapooia Middle School

Calapooia Middle School is a grades 6–8 school in Albany, Oregon, serving 585 students as part of Greater Albany Public School District 8J. Its latest statewide rank is 201st of 371 Oregon middle schools (46th percentile, 2 stars) for 2025–2026, up from the 13th percentile in 2021–2022 and 28th in 2024–2025 — real improvement, though still below the district's 65th-percentile standing.

Math is the clearest weakness. All-grade math proficiency is 21.5%, about 11 points below both the district (32.1%) and state (32.9%), and lower than every nearby school except Seven Oak Middle School (15.2%) and Jefferson Middle School (12.3%). Grades 6 and 7 math are especially low, at 16.7% and 18.3%. Reading is closer to the state average (43.4% vs. 43.8%), and science (34.1%) beats both district and state. Grade 8 stands out: 51.4% in ELA, above the state's 41.5%, with 8th-grade math and science at or above state levels. Neighboring North Albany Middle School (62.2% ELA, 48.1% math), Timber Ridge School, Cascade Junior High School, Philomath Middle School, Linus Pauling Middle School, and Cheldelin Middle School all post stronger overall results.

Chronic absenteeism is a major headwind: 38.3% in 2024–2025, above the district (34.8%) and state (33.5%), and far above North Albany's 24.2%. About 76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — similar to North Albany, Timber Ridge, and Memorial Middle School, which get stronger results — so poverty alone doesn't explain the gap. Calapooia spends $18,651 per student and has a 17.1 student-teacher ratio, more favorable than several same-district peers. Its relative effectiveness with low-income students (75th percentile, 4 stars) and homeless students (79th percentile) is a genuine strength, and special education effectiveness rose from the 11th to the 37th percentile. Note that the 2023–2024 student-teacher ratio wasn't reported, English learner data end at 2023–2024, and some comparison schools serve grades beyond 6–8.