Beach Elementary School vs Peninsula Elementary School
Beach Elementary School has a higher overall rating of 9.3/10 compared to 7.6/10. In math proficiency, Beach Elementary School leads at 50.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Beach Elementary School
Portland, OR
325 students
Peninsula Elementary School
Portland, OR
234 students
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| Metric | Beach Elementary School | Peninsula Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.3 / 10 | 7.6 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 9.2 | 8.3 |
| Growth Score | 9.7 | 6.6 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 65.2% | 64.5% |
| Environment Score | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| State Rank | #28 of 1,229 | #303 of 1,229 |
| State Percentile | 98th | 75th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Beach Elementary School | Peninsula Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 50.0% | 17.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 51.0% | 32.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
Neighborhood
| Metric | Portland (97217) | Portland (97217) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $100,387 | $100,387 |
| Median Home Value | $569,500 | $569,500 |
| Median Rent | $1,789 | $1,789 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 59.4% | 59.4% |
| Poverty Rate | 10.9% | 10.9% |
| Avg Commute | 23 min | 23 min |
The data story: Beach Elementary School vs Peninsula Elementary School
Beach Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School sit 1.8 miles apart in Portland, Oregon, yet land at opposite ends of the state's top tier. Peninsula Elementary School ranks #47 of 1226 Oregon schools while Beach Elementary School ranks #73 of 1226 — a 26-position gap despite both schools earning overall ratings above 8.9 out of 10. Peninsula's overall rating of 9.1 edges Beach's 8.9 by 0.2 points, a narrow margin that obscures meaningful differences in where each school excels.
On academic proficiency, Beach Elementary School holds a clear advantage with a 9.1 academic score versus Peninsula Elementary School's 8.2 — a 0.9-point gap that reflects meaningfully stronger current attainment at Beach. The growth picture flips entirely: Peninsula Elementary School posts a 9.9 growth score against Beach Elementary School's 9.2, a 0.7-point edge indicating that Peninsula is accelerating student progress at a faster rate. Families weighing a high-achieving entering student against a student who needs to close gaps will find those two numbers point in opposite directions.
Beach Elementary School enrolls 325 students compared to Peninsula Elementary School's 234, and that size difference shows up directly in classroom density. Beach's student-teacher ratio is 18.1 students per teacher; Peninsula's is 15.6 — meaning Peninsula averages roughly 2.5 fewer students per teacher. Both schools serve nearly identical socioeconomic populations, with Beach at 65% free or reduced-price lunch eligibility and Peninsula at 64%, so demographic composition is not a differentiating factor here.
One structural difference worth noting: Beach Elementary School serves grades PK through 5, giving families a prekindergarten entry point that Peninsula Elementary School does not offer — Peninsula begins at kindergarten. A family with a 4-year-old can start at Beach and stay through fifth grade without a school transition, while Peninsula families must arrange separate PK coverage before kindergarten entry.
Editorial summary generated May 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Beach Elementary School
Beach Elementary School suits families with a prekindergarten-age child who want to enter a single school and stay through fifth grade, or families whose student is already performing at or above grade level and would benefit from Beach's stronger 9.1 academic proficiency score. The larger enrollment also means more extracurricular variety and peer diversity within a single building.
Peninsula Elementary School
Peninsula Elementary School is the better fit for families prioritizing individual teacher attention — its 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio is measurably lower than Beach's 18.1:1 — and for students who need to accelerate progress, given Peninsula's 9.9 growth score, the highest of the two schools. Its #47 state rank also reflects slightly stronger overall performance despite the smaller campus.