Summary:
ZIP 97119 is the Gaston community in Oregon, served by a single district — Gaston School District 511J — which operates just two public schools: Gaston Elementary School (grades K–6, 228 students) and Gaston Junior/Senior High School (grades 7–12, 246 students). There is no standalone middle school; grades 7–8 sit inside the junior/senior high building. Combined enrollment is 474 students, and roughly 62% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Because grades are small — about 30–45 students per tested grade — a single student can move a grade-level result by 2–3 points, so year-to-year swings should be read as signals to look into rather than precise measures.
Comparing the two schools, Gaston Elementary School is the steadier performer, holding 3 stars and sitting at the 56th percentile of 709 Oregon elementaries. Its English language arts (48.5) and science (39.3) are above the state, and its math (32.4) is essentially even. Its chronic absenteeism (28.6%) is better than the state's 33.5%. Gaston Junior/Senior High School is a school of contrasts: its graduation rate of 95.3% is 12.3 points above Oregon's 83.0%, and its ELA and science also beat the state. But math is 22.6% versus 32.9% statewide, 11th-grade math falls to 12.5%, and chronic absenteeism is 47.6% — nearly one in two students.
The clearest pattern across both schools is strong literacy and science alongside weaker math, with the gap widest at the secondary level. Attendance is the sharpest internal difference: free/reduced lunch is nearly identical at both schools, yet absenteeism jumps 19 points between the elementary and the 7–12 building. The high school also spends more per student ($20,178 vs. $18,412) with smaller classes (14.6 vs. 15.6 students per teacher), which has not translated into stronger math or attendance outcomes.
Thank you for your feedback!