Markham Elementary School vs Scott Elementary School

Markham Elementary School and Scott Elementary School rank among Portland's top elementary schools, but Markham holds a slight overall edge — 9.3/10 versus Scott's 9.1/10 — with Markham sitting at #23 of 1,226 Oregon elementary schools and Scott at #36. Both finishes place each school in the top 3% statewide, meaning families choosing between them are splitting a genuinely narrow margin at the high end of Oregon's rankings.

The sharpest difference between the two schools sits in academic proficiency. Markham Elementary School scores 9.4/10 on academics against Scott Elementary School's 7.5/10 — a 1.9-point gap that signals meaningfully stronger current achievement levels at Markham. Scott reverses the advantage on student growth, earning a 9.9/10 compared to Markham's 9.4/10, indicating that Scott is accelerating student progress at a slightly faster rate year over year. Families weighing where students are performing today versus how quickly they are improving will find a real trade-off here.

Demographically, the two schools are nearly identical in economic profile: both serve 64% of students on free or reduced-price lunch. Scott Elementary is larger, enrolling 500 students versus Markham's 402. Scott also carries a better student-teacher ratio — 14.7:1 compared to Markham's 16.1:1 — which translates to roughly one fewer student per teacher and potentially more individual attention per child in Scott classrooms.

Both Markham Elementary School and Scott Elementary School serve grades KG through 05, so neither offers an extended grade range. The two campuses sit 9.7 miles apart within Portland, making a side-by-side visit practical for families in the zone between them. The choice ultimately hinges on whether a family prioritizes demonstrated academic proficiency (Markham) or the pace at which students are growing relative to expectations (Scott), with Scott also offering a smaller class environment by ratio.