Cascade Middle School is a public middle school located in Eugene, Oregon, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 342 students. The school is part of the Bethel School District 52, which is ranked 117 out of 140 districts in Oregon and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Cascade Middle School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from a high of 139 out of 382 Oregon middle schools in 2016-2017 to its current ranking of 335 out of 371 in 2023-2024.
Cascade Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the Bethel School District and the state of Oregon in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 18% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 31% for the district and 40.7% for the state. Similarly, in 8th-grade mathematics, only 13.6% of students were proficient or better, compared to 11.5% for the district and 26.4% for the state. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10% of Oregon middle schools for Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.
When comparing Cascade Middle School to other nearby middle schools, such as Spencer Butte Middle School, which is part of the higher-performing Eugene School District 4J, it becomes clear that Cascade Middle School is underperforming significantly. Spencer Butte Middle School consistently outperforms Cascade Middle School across all academic measures, with proficiency rates that are often 20-30 percentage points higher. The high percentage of students from low-income families and the relatively high student-teacher ratio at Cascade Middle School may be contributing factors to the school's poor academic performance.
In the 2023-24 school year, 362 students attended Cascade Middle School.
Cascade Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Oregon middle schools.
Bethel School District 52
Students at Cascade Middle School are 54% White, 32% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Not Specified, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% African American.
Students who attend Cascade Middle School usually go on to attend Willamette High School