Grout Elementary School vs Vernon Elementary School

Grout Elementary School and Vernon Elementary School are both high-performing Portland schools, but Grout holds a measurable edge in overall rating: 9.4/10 versus Vernon's 8.9/10, a 0.5-point gap. That difference translates directly to state rank — Grout sits at #14 of 1,226 Oregon schools while Vernon ranks #64 of 1,226. Both results are exceptional in absolute terms, but families weighing the two schools should know that Grout's advantage is real and consistent across the scoring model.

Academically, the two schools are deadlocked: both Grout Elementary School and Vernon Elementary School earn a 9.3/10 academic score, meaning proficiency outcomes are essentially equivalent. Where Grout pulls ahead is growth — its 9.8/10 growth score outpaces Vernon's 9.5/10, indicating that Grout students are making faster-than-expected academic progress relative to their starting points. A 0.3-point growth gap may look small, but at this level of performance it reflects a meaningful and consistent difference in instructional momentum year over year.

Grout and Vernon share identical free and reduced-price lunch rates at 65%, so neither school serves a more economically advantaged population — the performance gap is not a demographic artifact. On class size, however, the schools diverge: Grout's student-teacher ratio is 16.8:1 against Vernon's 19.3:1, meaning Grout students get meaningfully more teacher access per day. Enrollment tells a related story — Grout has 302 students versus Vernon's 579, making Grout roughly half the size and likely a different daily experience in terms of school culture, hallway traffic, and staff familiarity with individual kids.

The grade structure is the sharpest practical difference for families planning ahead. Grout Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade only, so families will need to identify a middle school before sixth grade. Vernon Elementary School runs from pre-K through eighth grade, keeping students in one building for nine years. Vernon's pre-K entry point also gives it an advantage for families with younger children not yet in kindergarten. The five-mile distance between the two schools means attendance boundaries — not convenience — will be the deciding factor for most Portland families.