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Talmadge Middle School

Q: Is Talmadge Middle School a good school?

Talmadge Middle School ranks 275 th of 371 Oregon middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

275^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 371 Oregon Middle Schools

Better than 26% of Oregon middle schools

Summary

Talmadge Middle School is a grades 6–8 school at 51 16th Street in Independence, Oregon — a small city just west of Salem — serving 716 students as part of Central School District 13J. It ranks 275th of 371 Oregon middle schools (26th percentile) with 1 star, placing it in the bottom quartile of the state. About 34.5% of students are proficient in English language arts, 19.8% in math, and 18.1% in science, compared with statewide rates of 43.8%, 32.9%, and 30.6%. Roughly 94.55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so this is a school serving a near-universally economically disadvantaged population.

Its clearest strengths are attendance and staffing. Chronic absenteeism was 34.9% in 2024–25 — lower than Central School District 13J's 37.4% and close to the state's 33.5%, a combination that is unusual for a school ranked this low on achievement. The student–teacher ratio of 18.8:1 is among the lowest in the region. The school has also improved for four consecutive years, moving from the 17th percentile in 2018–19 to 26th in 2025–26 — its best statewide rank in a decade. Compared with Houck Middle School, the nearby Salem-Keizer school with the most similar demographics, Talmadge posts higher proficiency in every subject and markedly lower absenteeism.

Where Talmadge struggles most is math and science, which trail state averages by roughly 13 points, and 8th grade in particular. Eighth-grade math (16.2%) is the school's lowest result, science — tested only in 8th grade — sits at 18.1%, and 8th-grade ELA falls to 29.1%, well below 7th grade's school-best 40.7%. Students from low-income families score at the 17th percentile, below the school's overall 26th. Two nearby charters bracket the region: Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School serves an even higher-poverty population and posts far higher proficiency with just 95 students, while Howard Street Charter serves far fewer low-income students. For parents, the takeaway is that attendance and class sizes here are already relatively strong, so future gains will most likely depend on classroom instruction, especially in 8th-grade math and science.

716

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,410

Per pupil spending ?

94.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

51 16th Street
Independence, OR 97351

(503) 606-2252

District: Central School District 13J

Students who attend Talmadge Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central High School

Feeder schools for Talmadge Middle School:

Elementary:	Ash Creek Elementary School
	Independence Elementary School
	Monmouth Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.5%

White:

45.0%

Two or more races:

5.6%

See top rated Oregon middle schools

Compare Talmadge Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 16th percentile in 2022 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 26th (2026) from a 16th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Oregon average (26% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 13 pts below the Oregon average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg27%

Oregon avg37%

275^th of 371

Oregon public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Oregon Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 141Central School District 13J among Oregon districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	275 of 371	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.3	285 of 368	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	290 of 371	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.5	303 of 380	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	309 of 367	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	313 of 379	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.9	316 of 384	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.9	290 of 382	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.6	284 of 383	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	39.3	248 of 381	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.4	296 of 382	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	36.8	267 of 377	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.2	297 of 395	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.6	254 of 357	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.6	235 of 343	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.9	257 of 323	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	31.7	250 of 315	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	43.8	186 of 295	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.7	138 of 285	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	50.1	134 of 271	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	30.6	201 of 270	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	27.3	246 of 321	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	248 of 316	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	230 of 313	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.0	264 of 323	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.8	260 of 310	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	235 of 277	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	304 of 342	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	50 of 103	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.5	27 of 104	74.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	29.1	143 of 200	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	166 of 196	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.9	168 of 196	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	178 of 201	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	191 of 194	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	172 of 191	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	192 of 210	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	24.6	212 of 256	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	189 of 240	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	197 of 244	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.7	201 of 312	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.4	306 of 364	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.8	241 of 282	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.8	293 of 325	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	252 of 327	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.3	252 of 330	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	264 of 323	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	261 of 318	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.0	269 of 312	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	219 of 291	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	273 of 341	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	36.0	85 of 133	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.3	106 of 125	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.2	68 of 114	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	72 of 115	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.3	62 of 137	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	26.2	160 of 193	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.6	102 of 180	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.1	135 of 156	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	172 of 206	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	229 of 354	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	224 of 351	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.5	220 of 349	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.2	231 of 360	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.7	244 of 355	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.9	265 of 344	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.6	267 of 357	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2026)51st percentile+26 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile+14 vs school

White (2026)35th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)28th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)23rd percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)17th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Oregon (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts34%-9 vs state

Mathematics20%-13 vs state

Science18%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Talmadge Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				OSAS English Language Arts (2026)				OSAS Mathematics (2026)				OSAS Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	OSAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts All Grades	OSAS Mathematics 6th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 7th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 8th Grade	OSAS Mathematics All Grades	OSAS Science 8th Grade	OSAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Talmadge Middle School	Public	6-8	51 16th Street	Independence	97351	Polk County	Central School District 13J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 606-2252	716	38	18.8	94.6%	322 (45.0%)	3 (0.4%)	333 (46.5%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.1%)	8 (1.1%)	40 (5.6%)	27.6	275^th of 371 public middle schools	25.9%		25.3	285^th of 368 public middle schools	22.6%	10	33.5	40.7	29.1	34.5	20.2	23.0	16.2	19.8	18.1	18.1	$18,410	$785	$17,625
LaCreole Middle School	Public	6-8	701 SE LaCreole Dr	Dallas	97338	Polk County	Dallas School District 2	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 623-6662	569	31	18.4	70.3%	418 (73.5%)	2 (0.4%)	104 (18.3%)	6 (1.1%)	10 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	26 (4.6%)	32.3	255^th of 371 public middle schools	31.3%		48.5	168^th of 368 public middle schools	54.3%	87	29.2	44.3	31.6	35.5	23.8	27.0	19.0	23.4	21.5	21.5	$16,513	$349	$16,165
Crossler Middle School	Public	6-8	1155 Davis Rd S	Salem	97306	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3444	804	33	24.3	88.8%	496 (61.7%)	14 (1.7%)	158 (19.7%)	30 (3.7%)	5 (0.6%)	24 (3.0%)	76 (9.5%)	50.5	154^th of 371 public middle schools	58.5%		41.2	197^th of 368 public middle schools	46.5%	43	38.6	40.9	47.6	42.3	38.5	35.3	26.4	33.5	28.2	28.2	$18,300	$1,146	$17,154
Judson Middle School	Public	6-8	4512 Jones Rd S	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3201	811	34	24.0	89.4%	442 (54.5%)	18 (2.2%)	208 (25.6%)	33 (4.1%)	8 (1.0%)	33 (4.1%)	68 (8.4%)	57.8	119^th of 371 public middle schools	67.9%		60.7	118^th of 368 public middle schools	67.9%	1	36.4	58.1	56.4	50.1	26.1	39.4	37.5	34.3	27.9	27.9	$19,482	$1,111	$18,371
Leslie Middle School	Public	6-8	3850 Pringle Rd SE	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3206	735	37	20.0	87.9%	360 (49.0%)	15 (2.0%)	269 (36.6%)	14 (1.9%)	4 (0.5%)	14 (1.9%)	52 (7.1%)	41.9	206^th of 371 public middle schools	44.5%		36.2	226^th of 368 public middle schools	38.6%	20	46.5	41.2	36.3	41.1	27.3	28.4	25.7	27.1	24.2	24.2	$20,859	$1,164	$19,694
Walker Middle School	Public	6-8	1075 8th St NW	Salem	97304	Polk County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3220	571	27	20.8	88.6%	277 (48.5%)	13 (2.3%)	191 (33.5%)	16 (2.8%)	5 (0.9%)	11 (1.9%)	55 (9.6%)	53.5	136^th of 371 public middle schools	63.3%		56.5	128^th of 368 public middle schools	65.2%	8	40.8	58.3	38.9	46.0	29.2	44.8	31.3	35.0	23.8	23.8	$19,437	$1,171	$18,265
Straub Middle School	Public	6-8	1920 Wilmington Ave NW	Salem	97304	Polk County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-2030	568	26	22.1	88.6%	359 (63.2%)	16 (2.8%)	106 (18.7%)	23 (4.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.5%)	55.7	128^th of 371 public middle schools	65.5%		61.3	114^th of 368 public middle schools	69.0%	14	40.6	47.7	46.3	45.0	31.4	37.0	41.1	36.8	27.3	27.3	$20,212	$1,124	$19,088
Howard Street Charter	Public, Charter	6-8	625 Marion St NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3408	184	1	184.0	21.7%	118 (64.1%)	1 (0.5%)	41 (22.3%)	3 (1.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.8%)	86.3	42^nd of 371 public middle schools	88.7%		87.3	38^th of 368 public middle schools	89.7%	4	65.1	70.5	64.8	66.9	57.1	44.3	53.7	51.7	38.9	38.9	$10,045	$984	$9,061
Parrish Middle School	Public	6-8	802 Capitol St NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3210	691	31	22.4	88.6%	186 (26.9%)	13 (1.9%)	418 (60.5%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	22 (3.2%)	43 (6.2%)	30.7	262^nd of 371 public middle schools	29.4%		24.5	289^th of 368 public middle schools	21.5%	27	30.6	36.0	30.6	32.5	25.6	36.3	15.9	26.5	12.8	12.8	$19,938	$1,123	$18,815
Jane Goodall Environmental Middle Charter School	Public, Charter	6-8	999B Locust St NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-7070	95	4	21.5	96.8%	69 (72.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (22.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.2%)	83.2	48^th of 371 public middle schools	87.1%		76.8	59^th of 368 public middle schools	84.0%	11	54.5	62.5	56.3	57.7	48.5	43.8	53.1	48.5	59.4	59.4	$18,174	$984	$17,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Talmadge Middle School

How many students attend Talmadge Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 716 students attended Talmadge Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Talmadge Middle School attend?

Students who attend Talmadge Middle School usually go on to attend Central High School

What is the racial makeup of Talmadge Middle School?

Students at Talmadge Middle School are 47% Hispanic, 45% White, 6% Two or more races, 1% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

What district is Talmadge Middle School in?

Central School District 13J

Is Talmadge Middle School a good school?

Talmadge Middle School ranks 275^th of 371 Oregon middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Talmadge Middle School!

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Latest Oregon data All new data »

2025–26 OSAS test scoresNewSep 25, 2026

2023–24 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 29, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNov 20, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Oregon Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.