Best Public Schools in Zip Code 97035

ZIP code 97035 in Lake Oswego is served by four public schools — three elementary schools (grades K–5) and one middle school (grades 6–8) — all within Lake Oswego School District 7J, which ranks #2 of 141 Oregon districts. Combined enrollment is 2,097 students: 1,209 across the three elementaries and 888 at the middle school. There is no high school in the ZIP. Every school here earned 5 stars and ranks in the top 8% of Oregon schools, and each one outperforms the state in English language arts, math, and science by 18.8 to 35.4 points. In ELA, roughly 7 in 10 students meet standards versus about 4 in 10 statewide.

Each school has a distinct strength. Lake Grove Elementary School has the strongest overall test profile, including the ZIP's highest ELA (73.3) and the top grade-level math score (3rd grade, 77.8 — 36.5 points above the state). Lakeridge Middle School ranks 20th of 371 Oregon middle schools and has stayed in the top 25 for three years. Oak Creek Elementary School has the best attendance, with chronic absenteeism of 10.9% — about one-third of Oregon's 33.5% rate — plus the highest math proficiency (68.3). River Grove Elementary School is the standout equity story: 45.03% free/reduced lunch, more than triple any other school, yet math proficiency (61.5) is statistically level with Lakeridge (61.4), supported by the smallest classes (13.8) and highest spending ($21,841).

A few patterns are worth watching. Science is the only subject where these schools trail their own district — only Lakeridge matches it (57.9 vs 57.8), and Oak Creek trails most (−8.4) though still 18.8 points above the state. At Lakeridge, math slips from 66.5 in 6th grade to 51.0 in 8th. Elementary math is stable across schools but varies by up to 25.2 points across grades within River Grove. Rankings are steady everywhere except River Grove, which swung from 22nd to 79th (4 stars) to 55th before rebounding.