Summary:
ZIP code 97360 has exactly one elementary school: Santiam Elementary School, a K–5 campus at 450 SW Evergreen St in Mill City with 249 students, part of the Santiam Canyon School District 129J. Because it is the only elementary school in this ZIP code, there is no local school to compare it with, so the meaningful benchmarks are its own district and Oregon statewide averages. The school serves a high-poverty population: 81.93% of students were eligible for free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025, and the school reports $14,782 in per-student spending with a 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio.
There is real momentum. Santiam Elementary improved to 448 out of 709 schools in 2025–2026 — the 37th percentile with 2 stars — up from 538 out of 706 (24th percentile, 1 star) in 2024–2025, a gain of 90 places. It has not yet returned to its 2023–2024 position of 406th, or the 43rd percentile. The clearest academic bright spot is 3rd-grade math at 51.6%, above the district's 50.5% and well above the state's 41.3%. Overall math is 35.2%, above Oregon's 32.9% but slightly below the district's 36.2%.
Several areas need attention. Science is the weakest subject at 17.4% proficiency, compared with the district's 24.5% and the state's 30.8% at 5th grade. English Language Arts sits below both district and state at every grade tested (3rd: 35.5%, 4th: 37.5%, 5th: 37.2%), with the widest gap in 5th grade. Chronic absenteeism is 43.2%, above the district's 38.1% and the state's 33.5%, and the district overall ranks higher than the school (61 out of 141, 57th percentile, 3 stars). The takeaway for families: improvement is underway and 3rd-grade math is strong, but science, reading, and attendance are the areas to watch.
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