Madras High School

Madras High School in Madras, Oregon, is the largest high school in its area, serving 768 students in grades 9–12 — roughly 3.4 times the size of Culver High School and about 12 times the size of Bridges High School, its same-district neighbor just 0.41 miles away — within Jefferson County School District 509J, where 92.45% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's standout strength is getting students across the graduation stage: 95.9% graduate, compared with 83.0% statewide, 91.7% in the district, and 94.8% at Culver High School — which serves a less disadvantaged population (69% free/reduced lunch). Math is the deepest weakness: 7.7% of students are proficient, 25.2 points below the state and less than half the district's all-grades figure of 15.9%. In English language arts (26.5%) and science (18.2%), Madras sits at or slightly above district levels. Chronic absenteeism is 45.7%, 12.2 points above the state, though it has improved from 56.1% over two years. Class sizes are the heaviest in the comparison set at 23.6 students per teacher, up sharply from 18.6 the year before.

Over the past decade the school's statewide rank has slid from the 58th percentile in 2015‑16 to the 12th percentile in 2025‑26, placing it in the bottom 12% of Oregon high schools. Per-student spending has risen to $22,001 — close to Culver's $21,630 but roughly half of Bridges' $41,554, even though Bridges posts weaker outcomes. The takeaway for families: graduation rates here are genuinely strong, but low math proficiency and large class sizes are real concerns, and recent attendance gains have not yet translated into achievement.