Welches Middle School

Located at 24903 E Salmon River Rd, in Welches, Oregon, Welches Middle School is a tiny middle school that hosts 67 students (grades 6 through 8), run under Oregon Trail SD 46. By comparison, Oregon's public schools average about 494 students each, so Welches Middle School sits 86% smaller than that benchmark.

Oregon Trail SD 46 comprises 10 schools with combined enrollment of 4,202 students; Welches Middle School is among them.

Demographically, Welches Middle School logs that the student body is overwhelmingly White (84%). The remainder is composed of 12% Hispanic, 4% multiracial.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Welches Middle School has 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.3:1. The state averages around 19.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 215% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Clackamas County (around 50%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Clackamas County indicate median household income runs about $103,517, about 41% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Clackamas County runs 118 public schools (combined enrollment of about 57,601 students), of which Welches Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Welches Elementary School, roughly 0.1 miles away.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Over the past 7-year window. Welches Middle School's enrollment has declined 31% since 2018, when it stood at 97 (now 67). Over the same period, the White share grew from 73% to 84%. Class-load math has fell: from 29.0:1 in 2018 to 16.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.