Summary:
ZIP code 97361, covering Monmouth, Oregon, is home to two elementary schools: Monmouth Elementary School and Ash Creek Elementary School. Both serve students in grades K–5 and belong to Central School District 13J, which is ranked 120 of 141 Oregon districts at the 15th percentile with 1 star. Together the two schools enroll 901 students, with Monmouth slightly larger at 468 students and Ash Creek at 433.
The two schools sit close together but perform very differently. Monmouth Elementary School has improved for three years straight, moving from the 36th percentile and 2 stars in 2023–24 to the 55th percentile and 3 stars in 2025–26. Its all-grade proficiency is above both the district and the state in English language arts (47.3%) and math (37.7%), with 3rd grade math especially strong at 55.2%. Ash Creek Elementary School has moved the other way, sliding from the 30th percentile to the 18th percentile and holding at 1 star. Its all-grade proficiency is below the state in ELA (30.8%), math (19.5%), and science (21.1%), though 5th grade ELA at 43.7% is a relative bright spot.
What makes the contrast striking is how similar the two schools are otherwise. Both report free/reduced lunch above 92% and chronic absenteeism near 33%, essentially the same. Ash Creek has a larger student-teacher ratio (21.6 vs. 18.9) and slightly lower per-student spending ($17,782 vs. $18,576), differences that may matter but do not by themselves explain the gap. Science is a shared weakness for both. Families comparing these schools should note that Monmouth is currently outperforming its own district, while Ash Creek's results track closer to the district's low overall standing.
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