Astoria School District students are halfway through the 2024-2025 school year. Students continue to come to school eager and ready to learn, supported by highly educated and caring teachers and staff.

There has been talk about how students throughout the United States perform or learn. I will admit there have been challenges over the last few years that have made teaching and learning more difficult. These challenges include a worldwide pandemic and a continued lack of school funding.

The Oregon Department of Education recently released “At a Glance” school district reports that provide specific academic and attendance data for the 2023-2024 school year.

Given the challenges public schools face, I was very pleased with the overall consistent growth of students in the Astoria School District, as shown in the “At a Glance” information.

The “At a Glance” information demonstrates the progress Astoria High School is making on students working toward graduation. Last year’s ninth-grade class finished the school year with 97.5% of students on track to graduate. Students must earn certain credits in specific courses to be considered on track to graduate. The data point of 97.5% is one of the highest on-track rates statewide.

Student attendance has been an area of focus for the district for many years. Districtwide, there has been a significant increase in the number of students attending school consistently this past school year. Here’s the information concerning attendance:

• Astor Elementary and Lewis and Clark Elementary: 80% regular attenders.

• Astoria Middle School: 78% regular attenders.

• Astoria High School: 75% regular attenders

For a student to be considered a “regular attender,” they cannot miss more than 10% of school days in a school year. This percentage of regular attenders is considered very high compared to the rest of the state. The district will continue to strive to get students to attend. The student attendance rate during the 2023-2024 school year is about 13% higher than the state average.

This year, the Astoria School District provided a new reading curriculum for grades K-5. With the combined efforts of a new curriculum, teacher literacy training, and a very dedicated staff, we are seeing growth in student literacy.

Based on the winter benchmark tests that all elementary students take in January 2025, students have made significant strides in reading accuracy, with 82% of fourth graders and 87% of fifth graders on benchmark for this skill. These scores reflect the district’s focus on teaching the foundational skills of phonics and decoding over the past five years. The new elementary curriculum will expand student skills beyond phonics, focusing on literacy skills such as vocabulary and background knowledge to support comprehension.

I am so proud of our students and staff. Astoria School District students are learning new skills each day, and our employees are working hard to meet the needs of every student. Astoria School District staff have shown a strong dedication to students learning and are motivated to provide opportunities for all students to grow and progress through school.

Many examples occur daily on school buses and buildings that show our staff cares about our students and wants to help and support them. Although we are always working to increase student attendance rates, the “At a Glance” data shows that many students like attending school regularly.

I also want to thank parents who prioritize their children’s education. Students come to school ready to learn, encouraged by parents who have shown genuine caring and dedication to their children’s education.

Parents, staff, and community members can find information concerning student achievement data on the Astoria School District website at www.astoriak12.org

Thank you for your continued support.

Craig Hoppes is the superintendent of the Astoria School District.