Alameda Elementary School vs Peninsula Elementary School

Alameda Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School sit 3.9 miles apart in Portland and land nearly identically on the overall scale — both score 9.1/10 — but their state ranks tell a slightly sharper story: Alameda Elementary School places #43 of 1,226 Oregon schools while Peninsula Elementary School places #47, a gap of four positions that amounts to a statistical tie at the statewide level. Parents comparing these two schools need to look past the headline number to see where each school actually diverges.

The clearest separation is academic proficiency versus student growth. Alameda Elementary School holds a 9.9/10 academic score compared to Peninsula Elementary School's 8.2/10 — a 1.7-point gap that reflects meaningfully higher tested proficiency. Peninsula Elementary School, however, edges ahead on growth, scoring 9.9/10 versus Alameda Elementary School's 9.5/10. That split matters: Alameda starts students higher, while Peninsula moves students further from wherever they enter. Neither edge is trivial, and which one weighs more depends entirely on where a child is starting.

Enrollment and staffing differences are substantial. Alameda Elementary School serves 521 students against Peninsula Elementary School's 234 — more than twice the population. That scale difference carries into the classroom: Alameda's student-teacher ratio is 21.7:1, versus Peninsula's 15.6:1. A child at Peninsula has roughly six more adult interactions per classroom setting, which can matter considerably for students who need closer monitoring, more individualized pacing, or simply thrive in quieter environments. Alameda's larger campus can offer broader programming and peer diversity but at the cost of less per-pupil teacher access.

Both Alameda Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School serve grades KG–05, so families with children across the elementary span face no structural difference in grade coverage. The choice comes down to the trade-offs already laid out: proven academic achievement levels at Alameda, stronger growth momentum and smaller class sizes at Peninsula.