Summary
Taft Middle School is a small grade 7–8 school of 235 students in Lincoln City, Oregon, part of Lincoln County School District, and it serves a coastal community where, in the data we reviewed, no other school lies within 20 miles. That means families here have a single local option for middle school, so the school's own numbers matter a great deal.
On state tests in 2025–2026, 31.6% of students met the standard in English language arts, 18.2% in math, and 26.9% in science. Math is the clearest weak spot: all-grade math trails the state by 14.7 points, and 7th-grade math (16.2% proficient) trails it by 17.1 points. Seventh-grade English is also 17.1 points below the state, while 8th-grade English (35.0%) is above the district average and only 6.5 points below the state. Eighth-grade science is the closest thing to a bright spot, at 26.9% — above the district's 20.8% and just 0.8 points under the state's 27.7%. Eighth grade generally outperforms 7th grade in both reading and math. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: 44.1% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, up from 38.8% the year before and above both the district (39.1%) and the state (33.5%).
The school's overall standing is improving from a low base. It ranked in the 9th percentile of Oregon schools in 2023–2024, the 13th in 2024–2025, and the 27th in 2025–2026 — still the bottom third of the state, but the district itself sits in the 20th percentile. Results for some student groups have risen sharply: low-income students moved to the 67th percentile with 3 stars, special education students to the 48th percentile with 2 stars, and students experiencing homelessness to the 68th percentile with 4 stars, though that last figure rests on a small comparison group. Other groups remain below the state median. Overall, this is a school making real progress while still facing large gaps in math, 7th-grade reading, and attendance.
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