Portland Arthur Academy Charter School vs Glencoe Elementary School

Glencoe Elementary School and Portland Arthur Academy Charter School sit 1.2 miles apart in Portland, Oregon, and both earn top-tier ratings — but Glencoe Elementary School edges ahead with a 9.3/10 overall rating versus Portland Arthur Academy Charter School's 9.1/10. That 0.2-point gap widens in state context: Glencoe Elementary School ranks #20 of 1,226 Oregon schools, while Portland Arthur Academy Charter School ranks #39 of 1,226 — a meaningful 19-position difference despite both schools sitting comfortably in the top 4% statewide.

The academic and growth scores separate the two schools more sharply than the overall ratings suggest. Glencoe Elementary School posts a 9.9/10 academic score versus Portland Arthur Academy Charter School's 9.3/10 — a 0.6-point delta that represents a real proficiency gap. On growth, Glencoe Elementary School again leads at 9.6/10 compared to Portland Arthur Academy Charter School's 9.0/10, meaning students at Glencoe are outpacing expected learning trajectories by a wider margin. Both schools serve grades KG–05, so these differences apply across the full elementary span.

The two schools diverge meaningfully on demographic and structural measures. Portland Arthur Academy Charter School serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students — 30% qualify for free or reduced lunch versus 21% at Glencoe Elementary School — and its smaller enrollment of 164 students versus Glencoe's 372 yields a tighter student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1 compared to Glencoe's 18.6:1. That means Portland Arthur Academy Charter School students get roughly two additional minutes of teacher attention per class hour, a structural advantage for families prioritizing individualized support.

Organizationally, the schools operate under different governance models. Glencoe Elementary School is a traditional Portland public school; Portland Arthur Academy Charter School is a charter, which typically means a distinct instructional philosophy, an application or enrollment process, and a governing board separate from Portland Public Schools. Families choosing between them are not just choosing academic outcomes — they are choosing between a neighborhood-zoned school with the highest academic score in this comparison and a smaller, charter-governed school with a stronger equity profile and a tighter classroom environment.