Ewing Young Elementary School vs Joan Austin Elementary School

Ewing Young Elementary School and Joan Austin Elementary School are both top-tier elementary schools in Newberg, Oregon, serving grades KG–05 and sitting 4.4 miles apart — but their overall ratings and state ranks tell meaningfully different stories. Joan Austin Elementary School holds an overall rating of 9.4/10 and ranks #12 of 1,226 schools in Oregon, while Ewing Young Elementary School earns a 9.2/10 and ranks #25 of 1,226. That 0.2-point gap places Joan Austin in the top 1% statewide, with Ewing Young just behind in the top 2% — both exceptional outcomes, but Joan Austin holds a clear edge at the state level.

The two schools diverge sharply when academics and growth are examined separately. Ewing Young Elementary School leads on academic proficiency with a 9.6/10 academic score versus Joan Austin Elementary School's 8.9 — a 0.7-point advantage that reflects stronger current test-score performance. Joan Austin flips that dynamic on growth: its 9.6/10 growth score outpaces Ewing Young's 9.0, meaning students at Joan Austin are advancing at a faster rate relative to expectations, even if their baseline proficiency sits lower. Families weighing present achievement against trajectory momentum will find these two schools pulling in opposite directions.

Joan Austin Elementary School serves a substantially higher-need population: 62% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 28% at Ewing Young Elementary School — more than double the economic disadvantage rate. Yet Joan Austin's student-teacher ratio of 11.3:1 provides considerably more individualized attention than Ewing Young's 14.0:1, a staffing difference that likely supports its strong growth outcomes. Enrollment is nearly identical, with Joan Austin at 192 students and Ewing Young at 182, so neither school operates at a scale that dilutes community feel.

Both schools cover the same grade span — kindergarten through fifth grade — so level-specific fit is not a differentiating factor. The meaningful program distinction is implicit in the data: Joan Austin is achieving exceptional growth outcomes with a high-FRL population and a lower student-teacher ratio, suggesting intentional instructional supports are in place, while Ewing Young's higher academic score points to a student body that enters with stronger baseline preparation.