Independence Elementary School

Independence Elementary School is one of the moderately sized elementary-level communitys in Independence, Oregon, overseen by Central SD 13J, with 425 students on its rolls from grades K through 5. By comparison, Oregon's public schools average about 321 students each, so Independence Elementary School sits 32% above that benchmark.

Independence Elementary School is one of 5 schools operated by Central SD 13J, a district that works with 3,050 students overall.

On demographics, Independence Elementary School shows that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 62% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 33% White, 2% multiracial. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 16% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 21.3:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 16.5:1 average. An estimated 93% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Polk County runs at roughly 84%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Independence Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 26.4%; this one delivers 16.5%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Polk County) reports that median household income runs about $85,118, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. In all, Polk County runs 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,121 students), of which Independence Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Central High School, around 1.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Independence Elementary School ranks 9th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 27.3%.

Independence Elementary School operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 4%: 408 students in 2018 compared to 425 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 57% to 62% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.