Summary
Houck Middle School is a grades 6–8 school at 1155 Connecticut Ave in Salem, Oregon, serving about 830 students as part of Salem-Keizer School District 24J. It currently ranks 339th of 371 Oregon schools (9th percentile, 0 stars), placing it in the bottom tenth of the state — and below its own district, which itself ranks 105th of 141 districts. Over the past decade Houck has never earned more than 1 star; ten years ago it sat at the 11th–15th percentile and now sits at the 7th–9th.
On 2025–26 tests, 21.2% of Houck students met standards in English language arts, 14.4% in math, and 12.5% in science — roughly 18–23 points below the state in each subject, and below even its district. Among nearby schools, only Waldo Middle School ranks lower, with Stephens Middle School close behind. Houck's single sharpest issue is attendance: 49.3% of students are chronically absent, the highest rate of any of the eleven local schools compared, including Claggett Creek Middle School and Parrish Middle School. That said, absenteeism has fallen about 13 points since 2020–21, and rank has improved from 378th of 380 in 2022–23.
Notably, poverty does not explain the differences among these schools: nearly all the comprehensive middle schools in Salem-Keizer serve between about 88% and 90% low-income students, yet English proficiency across them spans from about 21% to 50%. Houck spends $19,379 per student with a student–teacher ratio of 22.6 — mid-pack locally, and money and class size do not track results here. Within the school, results vary widely: gifted and talented students rank at the 78th percentile statewide, and migrant students at the 59th percentile, while special education and low-income students rank near the bottom (3rd percentile). Eighth graders also outperform sixth graders by nearly 9 points in English, meaning today's youngest cohort is the school's weakest.
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