McBride Elementary School

As a mid-tier elementary-level community in St Helens, Oregon, McBride Elementary School enrolls 452 students from grades K through 5, run under St Helens SD 502. By comparison, Oregon's public schools average about 321 students each, so McBride Elementary School sits 41% bigger than that benchmark.

Within St Helens SD 502, which oversees 8 schools and 2,856 students, McBride Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, McBride Elementary School records that the largest single group is White, at 78% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 12% Hispanic, 6% multiracial.

Looking at school resources, The school lists 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.9:1. The state averages around 16.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 74% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is higher than Columbia County's rate of about 62%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, McBride Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 33.9%; this one delivers 23.0%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Columbia County) records that the typical household earns roughly $87,458 per year, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Columbia County's 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,932 students), McBride Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

St Helens High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), McBride Elementary School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 27.7%.

McBride Elementary School operates from a small-town location.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 24%: 591 students in 2018 compared to 452 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 85% to 78%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 20.9:1 in 2018 to 17.9:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.