Parents with kids in the Canby School District have great affection for their public education system.
To wit, two of them left the following glowing comments on Niche.com, which recently unveiled its ranking of Oregon's 30 top school districts.
"In my opinion, this school has many great teachers that do very well in making sure students learn the required curriculum," wrote one Canby booster. "Despite the small budget we have for the arts, we still have many available, including theater, band, choir, graphic design, drawing, sculpture, etc. Many interesting electives and clubs are available too, so all students have the ability to learn a lot but also enjoy their four years of high school."
SLIDESHOW: Oregon's Top 30 school districts, 2019
"I love all the staff at Canby," wrote another. "They are very welcoming. The counselors at the school are amazing, and are willing to help you with anything that’s going on in your life. I love the sports they have there. They may not have winning sports, but it doesn’t matter about winning, it’s about having fun."
Niche.com's top districts' list includes the state's largest school system as well as the 50-student Dayville district. The school districts included here notched a "B" or higher grade.
Such data is critical for parents looking to locate to Oregon as well as for business owners seeking to site their operations in high-quality areas.
Among the top 10, four of the districts are located in the immediate Portland area.
The districts are ranked on the following factors:
- Academics, based on state assessment proficiency, SAT/ACT scores and survey responses from students and parents comprised 50 percent of the overall grade.
- The quality of teachers, an assessment that includes salaries and absenteeism rates, comprises 15 percent.
- Culture and diversity, based on survey responses, makes up 10 percent of the rating.
- Parent and student surveys gauging satisfaction contributes another 10 percent of the rating.
- Two factors — health and safety, and resources and facilities — each contribute 5 percent.
- Clubs/activities and sports make up 2.5 percent of the final ranking apiece.
