Clara Brownell Middle School

Clara Brownell Middle School is a public middle school in Umatilla, Oregon, serving 342 students in grades 7–8 as the only middle school in Umatilla School District 6R, which ranks 140th of 141 Oregon districts. The school itself ranks 358th of 371 Oregon schools (4th percentile). In a decade of data, it has never risen above the 9th percentile statewide, so its 2025–2026 position is a slight uptick from a very low baseline rather than clear evidence of a turnaround.

Academic proficiency is the school's most serious challenge. On 2025–2026 state assessments, 8.9% of students were proficient in English language arts, 8.1% in math, and 15.6% in science — compared with statewide rates of 43.8%, 32.9%, and 30.6%. The nearest direct comparisons are striking: Sandstone Middle School (41.7% ELA) and Armand Larive Middle School (34.6% math) sit about six miles away in Hermiston School District 8, serve similarly high-poverty populations, and perform near or above state averages. That contrast — similar circumstances, very different results — is the most important comparison for families here. Science is the school's comparatively strongest subject, and its 8th-grade science gap to Armand Larive is only about 4 points, versus more than 27 points in ELA.

The most encouraging number is attendance: chronic absenteeism fell to 21.2% in 2024–2025 from 32.5% the year before, better than the district (33.0%), the state (33.5%), and every nearby school, including Irrigon Elementary School and Windy River Elementary School. The school also ranks around the 40th percentile for its special education students — far above its overall standing — suggesting that program is a relative strength. Per-student spending is $18,207, the lowest among nearby schools, though not so low that funding alone explains the outcomes.