Lent Elementary School vs Peninsula Elementary School

Lent Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School sit at the very top of Oregon's elementary landscape, separated by just 0.1 rating points — Lent at 9.3/10 ranked #21 of 1226 Oregon schools, Peninsula at 9.2/10 ranked #29 of 1226. That gap is negligible in absolute terms, but both schools clearing the top 2.5% of the state signals genuine, sustained performance rather than a statistical blip. For Portland parents, either school represents a high-confidence choice; the meaningful differences lie in the details below that headline number.

Academically, Peninsula Elementary School holds a narrow edge, scoring 8.2/10 versus Lent Elementary School's 8.1/10 — a one-tenth difference that is functionally a tie. Where neither school distinguishes itself is growth: both Lent Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School post a 9.9/10 growth score, meaning students at both campuses are advancing at an exceptional rate relative to their starting points. That near-perfect growth figure, consistent across both schools, suggests strong instructional practice rather than a demographic tailwind driving the ratings.

Lent Elementary School enrolls 273 students compared to Peninsula Elementary School's 234, a modest size difference that affects classroom feel more than outcomes. The student-teacher ratio tells a sharper story: Lent runs 13.7 students per teacher versus Peninsula's 15.6:1 — nearly two fewer students per teacher, which translates to more individualized attention per child. On the socioeconomic side, Lent serves a higher-need population, with 73% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch against Peninsula's 64%. Both percentages reflect communities with significant economic need, and both schools are producing top-tier results within those conditions.

Both campuses cover the same grade span — kindergarten through fifth grade — giving families equivalent years of continuity before the middle school transition. The 9.4 miles separating them means a family's Portland neighborhood will likely be the deciding factor, since cross-district open enrollment logistics add friction that neither school's marginal advantages fully offset.