Lewis Elementary School vs Peninsula Elementary School

Lewis Elementary School and Peninsula Elementary School sit just 8.5 miles apart in Portland, Oregon, yet land at nearly identical overall ratings — 9.1 out of 10 for Lewis Elementary School and 9.2 out of 10 for Peninsula Elementary School. The state rank difference is more telling: Peninsula Elementary School places #29 of 1,226 Oregon schools, while Lewis Elementary School comes in at #35 of 1,226 — both comfortably elite, but Peninsula edges ahead in that top-tier tier by six positions.

The academic and growth data tell a split story. Lewis Elementary School holds a substantial lead in academic proficiency with a 9.4 out of 10, compared to Peninsula Elementary School's 8.2 — a 1.2-point gap that reflects meaningfully different tested achievement levels. Growth scores flip that picture: Peninsula Elementary School posts a 9.9 out of 10 versus Lewis Elementary School's already-strong 9.6, suggesting Peninsula is accelerating student progress at a slightly faster pace. Families who prioritize where students perform right now will favor Lewis; those focused on how much students are gaining year over year will find Peninsula's trajectory more compelling.

The two schools diverge sharply on demographics and classroom structure. Peninsula Elementary School serves a significantly higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students — 64% qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to 29% at Lewis Elementary School. Peninsula also runs smaller: 234 enrolled students versus Lewis Elementary School's 297, and that smaller population translates into a noticeably lower student-teacher ratio of 15.6:1 against Lewis Elementary School's 18.6:1. Parents seeking smaller class sizes and closer teacher-to-student attention will find Peninsula's numbers more favorable by a three-point margin.

Both schools serve grades KG through 05, so neither offers a grade-range advantage for elementary families. The distinction comes down to the profile of each campus: Lewis Elementary School combines a high academic floor with a larger, less economically diverse student body, while Peninsula Elementary School pairs its top-of-state growth rate with a more economically mixed community and tighter classroom ratios that typically support more individualized instruction.