Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 97127

ZIP code 97127 contains just one elementary school, Wascher Elementary School, which serves grades K–5 in Lafayette, Oregon, and is part of McMinnville School District 40. With 371 students, it is the only public elementary school in this ZIP code. The school has a high-poverty student population, with 82.21% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and it spends $18,472 per student with a student-teacher ratio of 16.2 to 1.

Wascher Elementary School stands out for its strong academic performance and steady improvement. In 2025-2026, it earned 4 stars and ranked 211 out of 709 Oregon schools, placing in the 70th percentile. That is up from 311 out of 710 (56th percentile) in 2023-2024 and 288 out of 706 (59th percentile) in 2024-2025, a gain of 100 rank positions and 14 percentile points. The school outperforms both its district and the state in all-grade English Language Arts (53.2% proficient vs. 48.4% district and 43.8% state), Mathematics (43.5% vs. 39.8% and 32.9%), and Science (41.3% vs. 35.5% and 30.6%). Its chronic absenteeism rate is 19.9%, notably lower than the district's 29.9% and the state's 33.5%. Fifth grade is particularly strong: 66.7% proficient in ELA (vs. 47.1% state), 47.6% in Math (vs. 32.4% state), and 41.3% in Science (vs. 30.8% state).

Despite these strengths, there is one clear area for improvement. Third-grade mathematics proficiency is 35.0%, which trails both the district (44.4%) and the state (41.3%)—the only reported grade and subject where it falls below both benchmarks. Third-grade ELA is 41.7%, nearly matching the state's 41.5% but below the district's 45.2%. By contrast, fourth and fifth grade ELA are above both district and state. Overall, Wascher Elementary School is a high-performing, improving school with above-state proficiency, exceptional fifth-grade results, and low chronic absenteeism despite high economic need. Parents should note that the school's resource context (per-student spending and student-teacher ratio) is provided without district or state comparisons, so it is best viewed as background information rather than a relative advantage.