Harrison Park School vs da Vinci Middle School

Da Vinci Middle School edges Harrison Park School by half a point overall — 8.9/10 versus 8.4/10 — and that gap is sharper in state context: da Vinci Middle School ranks #75 of 1,226 schools in Oregon while Harrison Park School sits at #149. Both results are well into the top tier of the state, but families prioritizing the highest-ranked option have a clear signal. The two schools serve identical grade spans (6–8) and sit only 3.4 miles apart in Portland, making the comparison a genuine choice rather than a geographic one.

Academic scores are nearly identical — Harrison Park School 8.3/10 versus da Vinci Middle School 8.4/10 — so raw proficiency is not what separates them. Where Harrison Park School stands apart is growth: a 9.8/10 growth score versus da Vinci Middle School's 9.1/10. That 0.7-point gap means students at Harrison Park School are advancing faster relative to their starting points, which is a meaningful distinction for families whose children enter middle school behind grade level or who want to see accelerated trajectory regardless of where they begin.

Harrison Park School serves a higher-need population: 64% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch versus 36% at da Vinci Middle School. Despite that demographic difference, Harrison Park School's growth score leads — suggesting its instructional model is working for students who typically face greater academic headwinds. Harrison Park School also maintains a lower student-teacher ratio, 13.4:1 versus da Vinci Middle School's 16.9:1, meaning each student at Harrison Park gets meaningfully more direct teacher access. Da Vinci Middle School is somewhat larger, enrolling 406 students against Harrison Park School's 321.

Both schools cover grades 6–8 with no structural difference in level or span. The distinction is in community composition and instructional focus: Harrison Park School pairs its smaller class sizes with a higher-need student body and exceptional growth results, while da Vinci Middle School pairs its stronger overall and state rank with a less economically diverse enrollment and slightly higher academic score.