Gilbert Heights Elementary School

Gilbert Heights Elementary School is a moderately sized primary school in Portland, Oregon, part of David Douglas SD 40. The school enrolls 405 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Oregon's public schools average about 321 students each, so Gilbert Heights Elementary School sits 26% bigger than that benchmark.

Across the 14 schools in David Douglas SD 40 (8,716 students total), Gilbert Heights Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Gilbert Heights Elementary School records that 31% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder breaks down as 22% White, 19% Asian, 14% Black, 11% multiracial. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 14%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 16.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 107% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Multnomah County's rate of about 75%.

Across the wider county, census data for Multnomah County shows median household earnings sit near $88,766, roughly 49% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Multnomah County's 169 public schools (combined enrollment of about 81,096 students), Gilbert Heights Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Alice Ott Middle School, around 0.8 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Gilbert Heights Elementary School.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 33%: 609 students in 2018 compared to 405 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 34% to 22%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 22.6:1 in 2018 to 18.2:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.