Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 97499

ZIP code 97499 covers the rural community of Yoncalla, Oregon, and it contains exactly one public elementary school: Yoncalla Elementary School, a K–8 school serving about 175 students. It is the only school in the Yoncalla School District 32, so families here have a single local option rather than a choice among nearby schools. Because the school makes up essentially all of the district's K–8 population, its test results and the district's results are identical at every tested grade level.

Academically, the school ranks near the bottom of Oregon: 691st out of 709 schools in 2025–26, in the 3rd percentile with a 0-star rating, down from the 18th percentile three years earlier. Overall proficiency is 25.3% in English language arts versus 43.8% statewide, 14.9% in math versus 32.9%, and 11.1% in science versus 30.6%. The gaps vary sharply by grade. Grades 4 through 6 trail the state by 22 to 41 points — 5th grade ELA is 5.9% against 47.1% statewide, and 5th grade math and science are reported only as "under 5%." By contrast, 7th grade ELA stands at 66.7% versus 45.3% statewide, 7th grade math matches the state exactly at 33.3%, and 8th grade science at 30% edges past the state's 27.7%.

Some context helps interpret these numbers. Chronic absenteeism is 38.8%, above both the district (35.2%) and the state (33.5%). Per-student spending is $24,085, with a student–teacher ratio of 14.5 — this is a very small school where fixed costs are spread across few students. The reported free/reduced-lunch figure of 108.57% is not a valid percentage and should be read only as a signal of high economic need. Finally, with grade cohorts this small, a single student can move a grade-level percentage by several points, so the strong 7th grade results should be watched for persistence rather than treated as a turnaround.