Cedar Mill Elementary School vs Creston Elementary School

Cedar Mill Elementary School and Creston Elementary School are both Portland, Oregon elementary schools serving KG–05, but their standing in Oregon's school rankings separates them sharply. Cedar Mill Elementary School sits at #89 of 1,226 Oregon elementary schools with an overall rating of 9.6/10. Creston Elementary School ranks #4 of 1,226 — placing it among the very top elementary schools in the state — with an overall rating of 8.6/10. That 1.0-point overall rating gap, driven largely by growth performance, means Creston operates in a different tier despite Cedar Mill's own strong standing.

On academic proficiency, the two schools are nearly identical: Cedar Mill Elementary School scores 9.7/10 and Creston Elementary School scores 9.8/10, a difference that is statistically negligible. The meaningful delta sits in growth — how much students improve relative to peers with similar starting points. Creston Elementary School posts a growth score of 9.7/10 against Cedar Mill Elementary School's 8.9/10, a 0.8-point gap that reflects Creston's ability to accelerate learning across its student body, including students who enter school behind grade level. That growth advantage is the engine behind Creston's #4 state rank.

The two schools serve meaningfully different populations. Cedar Mill Elementary School enrolls 329 students with 18% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly higher-income family base. Creston Elementary School enrolls 238 students, with 78% qualifying — a 60-percentage-point difference that signals Creston serves a predominantly low-income population. Despite that, Creston matches Cedar Mill academically and outpaces it on growth, which is a notable equity achievement. Creston also carries a lower student-teacher ratio — 15.9:1 versus Cedar Mill's 18.3:1 — giving each student more instructor face time on average.

Both schools cover the same grade span, KG through 5th grade, and sit 8.4 miles apart within Portland. Families choosing between them are making a decision that depends less on absolute academic outcomes, which are strong at both campuses, and more on school environment, community composition, and what kind of growth trajectory they want for their child.