Summary
Chapman Elementary School is a K–5 public school in northwest Portland, Oregon, serving 353 students in Portland School District 1J. In 2025–26, Chapman ranked 231st of 709 Oregon elementary schools (67th percentile, 3 stars), while its district ranked 12th of 141 (91st percentile, 5 stars); Chapman scored above the state in English language arts, math, and science but below its own district in every tested subject. Its long-term trend fell from the top 10% of Oregon schools a decade ago to the top third, though results have been relatively stable around the 61st–68th percentile for four years and improved slightly from 2024–25 to 2025–26.
Grade-level results show a striking split: 5th grade is a clear strength, with 66.0% proficient in ELA and 55.3% in math, above both district and state. 3rd grade is a clear weakness, with 37.5% proficient in ELA and 36.2% in math, below both district and state. Among nearby schools, Chapman sits in the lower-middle: it outperforms Dr. Martin Luther King Junior School in ELA and science, ties it in math, and far exceeds Boise-Eliot Elementary School and Kairos PDX. But it trails Ainsworth Elementary School, Emerson School, Irvington Elementary School, Chief Joseph Elementary School, Beach Elementary School, The Ivy School, and often Buckman Elementary School. Notably, Ainsworth and Irvington serve similar free/reduced-lunch rates—around 42%—yet achieve higher proficiency, so demographics alone do not explain the gap.
Chronic absenteeism is Chapman’s most obvious local challenge: 37.1% in 2024–25, above district (32.5%) and state (33.5%), and higher than every nearby school except Boise-Eliot. It was below district and state in 2022–23, so this relative position has worsened. Resources are not the obvious explanation: Chapman spends $24,159 per student, more than Ainsworth and Irvington, and its student-teacher ratio is mid-to-high locally. Subgroup effectiveness is uneven: low-income students showed strong recent gains, while special education dropped from the 78th percentile in 2021–22 to 44th in 2024–25, and gifted/talented students rank below average. Overall, Chapman has a solid foundation with above-state achievement and strong 5th grade results, but early-grade learning, attendance, and special education support are the clearest areas to watch.
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