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McKay Creek Elementary School

Q: Is McKay Creek Elementary School a good school?

McKay Creek Elementary School ranks 267 th of 709 Oregon elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

267^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 709 Oregon Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Oregon elementary schools

Summary

McKay Creek Elementary School is a K–5 school serving 265 students at 1539 SW 44th St in Pendleton, Oregon, a small city in Umatilla County where it is one of four Pendleton School District 16 elementary campuses and sits less than a mile from its closest peer, Sherwood Heights Elementary School.

Academically, McKay Creek is the strongest of the Pendleton elementaries. In 2025-26 state tests, 50.8% of students met standards in English language arts, 38.3% in math, and 34.0% in science — above Oregon averages in all three subjects, and about 14 points above its own district in both reading and math. The gap with nearby schools is wide: against Sherwood Heights, ELA is ahead by 19.4 points and math by 14.7; against Washington Elementary School, math is ahead by 16 points. That contrast matters because the district ranks near the bottom of Oregon (1 star, 22nd percentile), while McKay Creek holds 3 stars and ranks in the top 38% of state elementaries. Third-grade reading (54.8%) is a standout; fourth-grade reading is the one soft spot, coming in slightly below the state mark.

Two other facts stand out. Chronic absenteeism is 14.1% — less than half the district and state rates (each around 33%) and the lowest among the compared schools, down from 27.1% two years earlier. The school achieves this with the leanest resources in the group: the lowest spending per student ($16,793) and the largest classes (18.4 students per teacher), while more than 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, up sharply from 64.8% the year before. Watch items: its overall rank has eased from the 69th to the 62nd percentile since 2022-23, and rising poverty combined with large classes will test whether these results hold.

265

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,793

Per pupil spending ?

82.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1539 SW 44th St
Pendleton, OR 97801-3799

(541) 966-3000

District: Pendleton School District 16

Students who attend McKay Creek Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sunridge Middle School
High:	Pendleton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.6%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Two or more races:

9.1%

See top rated Oregon elementary schools

Compare McKay Creek Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2015 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Oregon average (43% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Above the Oregon median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg30%

Oregon avg37%

267^th of 709

Oregon public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Oregon Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Pendleton School District 16

110^th of 141Pendleton School District 16 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	56.9	267 of 709	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.4	259 of 706	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.8	251 of 710	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.8	220 of 706	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.4	229 of 706	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.6	319 of 705	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.9	394 of 709	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	52.9	304 of 701	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.0	333 of 697	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.9	229 of 706	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.1	386 of 695	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.3	318 of 707	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.7	326 of 730	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.6	189 of 695	72.8%	★★★★☆
2010	52.0	363 of 674	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.0	399 of 665	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	63.4	244 of 655	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	40.6	420 of 652	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	67.5	193 of 636	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.9	278 of 629	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	76.3	100 of 586	82.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	238 of 655	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.2	298 of 653	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.0	208 of 658	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.0	153 of 652	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	141 of 646	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	45.6	334 of 621	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.0	429 of 681	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2018	55.2	176 of 475	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	150 of 521	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	25.0	436 of 518	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.1	278 of 523	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	81.6	58 of 595	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	61.7	226 of 703	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.4	471 of 597	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.7	544 of 640	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	53.2	277 of 657	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.3	190 of 664	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	54.8	254 of 662	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	285 of 665	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	304 of 654	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.8	249 of 623	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.3	349 of 680	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2018	16.6	200 of 212	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2018	15.4	471 of 481	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	51.6	300 of 670	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.3	272 of 669	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	244 of 670	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.9	253 of 656	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.5	261 of 666	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.0	340 of 662	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.9	468 of 683	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2018)63rd percentile+19 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2018)6th percentile-39 vs school

Special Education (2018)2nd percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Oregon (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts51%+7 vs state

Mathematics38%+5 vs state

Science34%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near McKay Creek Elementary 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 3rd Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts All Grades	OSAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	OSAS Mathematics 4th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 5th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 6th Grade	OSAS Mathematics All Grades	OSAS Science 5th Grade	OSAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McKay Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	1539 SW 44th St	Pendleton	97801	Umatilla County	Pendleton School District 16	No	(n/a)	No	No	(541) 966-3000	265	14	18.4	82.6%	203 (76.6%)	4 (1.5%)	26 (9.8%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.1%)	56.9	267^th of 709 public elementary schools	62.3%		57.4	259^th of 706 public elementary schools	63.3%	8	54.8	41.7	54.0		50.8	40.5	36.1	38.0		38.3	34.0	34.0	$16,793	$231	$16,562
Sherwood Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	3235 SW Nye Ave	Pendleton	97801	Umatilla County	Pendleton School District 16	No	(n/a)	No	No	(541) 966-3050	439	27	16.2	83.8%	274 (62.4%)	8 (1.8%)	87 (19.8%)	4 (0.9%)	20 (4.6%)	2 (0.5%)	44 (10.0%)	24.7	546^th of 709 public elementary schools	23.0%		19.4	591^st of 706 public elementary schools	16.3%	45	34.3	24.3	35.3		31.4	31.4	20.0	20.2		23.6	24.7	24.7	$17,618	$251	$17,367
Pendleton Early Learning Center	Public	PK-K	455 SW 13th St	Pendleton	97801	Umatilla County	Pendleton School District 16	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(541) 966-3300	197	14	13.8	113.7%	120 (60.9%)	1 (0.5%)	40 (20.3%)	3 (1.5%)	16 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.6%)								(n/a)													$23,482	$4,618	$18,864
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	1205 SE Byers Ave	Pendleton	97801	Umatilla County	Pendleton School District 16	No	(n/a)	No	No	(541) 966-5552	420	26	16.4	83.1%	208 (49.5%)	4 (1.0%)	78 (18.6%)	1 (0.2%)	89 (21.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.5%)	28.6	512^th of 709 public elementary schools	27.8%		32.5	470^th of 706 public elementary schools	33.4%	42	25.3	37.6	49.5		38.1	30.4	25.9	12.0		22.3	22.3	22.3	$17,952	$112	$17,840
Pilot Rock Elementary School	Public	K-6	200 Vern McGowan Dr	Pilot Rock	97868	Umatilla County	Pilot Rock School District 2	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(541) 443-2361	136	10	13.6	72.8%	107 (78.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (12.5%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.9%)	20.7	582^nd of 709 public elementary schools	17.9%		36.5	435^th of 706 public elementary schools	38.4%	147	27.8	17.6	42.9	37.5	32.5	16.7	11.8	10.0	20.8	15.2	13.6	13.6	$19,201	$1,087	$18,113
Athena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	375 S 5th St	Athena	97813	Umatilla County	Athena-Weston School District 29RJ	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(541) 566-3581	124	13	9.5	74.2%	91 (73.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (9.7%)	53.4	300^th of 709 public elementary schools	57.7%					(n/a)	44.8	46.8			46.1	48.3	36.2			40.8			$22,790	$2,390	$20,400

Frequently Asked Questions about McKay Creek Elementary School

What schools do graduates of McKay Creek Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McKay Creek Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sunridge Middle School
High : Pendleton High School

What is the racial makeup of McKay Creek Elementary School?

Students at McKay Creek Elementary School are 77% White, 10% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% African American.

Is McKay Creek Elementary School a good school?

McKay Creek Elementary School ranks 267^th of 709 Oregon elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McKay Creek Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 265 students attended McKay Creek Elementary School.

What district is McKay Creek Elementary School in?

Pendleton School District 16

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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.