Creston Elementary School vs Vernon Elementary School

Creston Elementary School and Vernon Elementary School are both Portland, Oregon public schools, but they sit notably different positions in Oregon's statewide rankings. Creston Elementary School holds an overall rating of 9.6/10 and ranks #4 of 1226 schools in Oregon, while Vernon Elementary School earns an 8.9/10 and ranks #64 of 1226 — a 0.7-point gap that translates to a 60-slot difference in a field of over 1,200 schools. Both are strong performers by any measure, but Creston Elementary School's position near the very top of the state is a meaningful distinction for families prioritizing rank.

On academic metrics, Creston Elementary School scores 9.8/10 versus Vernon Elementary School's 9.3/10 — a half-point difference in a category that carries significant weight. The growth score gap is narrower: Creston Elementary School earns a 9.7/10 and Vernon Elementary School a 9.5/10, suggesting both schools move students forward at a similar pace year over year, though Creston holds a slight edge there too. Parents weighing raw academic performance will find Creston Elementary School consistently ahead across both dimensions.

The two schools differ substantially in size and resource allocation. Creston Elementary School serves 238 students with a student-teacher ratio of 15.9:1, compared to Vernon Elementary School's 579 students at 19.3:1 — more than three additional students per teacher on average. Creston Elementary School also has a higher share of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, at 78% versus Vernon Elementary School's 65%, meaning Creston is achieving its near-perfect academic scores with a higher-need population, which makes those results especially notable from an equity standpoint.

Grade span is a practical differentiator. Creston Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade, while Vernon Elementary School extends from pre-K through eighth grade — a two-year head start on one end and a full middle school continuation on the other. For families with pre-K-age children or those who want to minimize school transitions through middle school, Vernon Elementary School's broader grade range offers a logistical advantage Creston simply doesn't match.