Summary:
The 97141 zip code area is home to two elementary schools - South Prairie Elementary School and Liberty Elementary School, both serving grades K-5 and operated by the Tillamook School District 9. While these schools have adequate resources, they face significant challenges related to chronic absenteeism, academic performance, and socioeconomic factors that may be impacting student success.
Both South Prairie Elementary and Liberty Elementary have alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, at 34.3% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average of 20.1%. Additionally, South Prairie Elementary's 3rd-grade test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are well below the district and state averages, with only 20.8% of 3rd-graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to 39% statewide. These low academic performance levels may be linked to the high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 67.16% for South Prairie and 66.54% for Liberty, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage in the student populations.
Despite the resource allocation, with relatively high spending per student ($17,974 for South Prairie and $20,457 for Liberty, compared to the state average of $12,845) and small class sizes (13.2 for South Prairie and 10.5 for Liberty), the data suggests that these resources are not translating into improved student outcomes. This highlights the need for further investigation and targeted interventions to address the underlying issues and improve educational opportunities for the students in this community.
Thank you for your feedback!