Pendleton Sd 16

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Pendleton, Oregon - 8 schools

An equity score of 35/100 ranks Pendleton Sd 16 #123 of 160 districts in Oregon (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,414 per pupil, Pendleton Sd 16 ranks #164 of 194 Oregon districts by per-pupil spending (Oregon districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,013
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$13,414
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Pendleton Sd 16 operates 8 public schools serving 3,013 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Oregon. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Umatilla County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,414 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 194 Oregon districts by per-pupil spending. See how Oregon compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 23.6% local, 63.0% state, and 13.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 35/100, ranked #123 of 160 in Oregon against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), and 50.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 57.0% White, 14.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Washington Elementary School, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.

Its largest campus is Pendleton High School, enrolling 763 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hawthorne Alternative High School, at 56 students, a 14x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Pendleton High School accounts for 25.3% of all Pendleton Sd 16 student enrollment

That concentration means Pendleton Sd 16-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Pendleton Sd 16 school enrollment varies 14× across entities

Pendleton Sd 16 school enrollment ranges from 56 students (lowest) to 763 students (highest), a spread of 707 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Pendleton Sd 16 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Pendleton Sd 16 chronic absenteeism rate is 50.5% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.3%
Federal
63.0%
State
23.6%
Local

Funding Equity

35
Equity Score
123 / 160
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Pendleton Sd 16.

White 57.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 9.5%
Other 17.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 51.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Pendleton Sd 16's schools, above the Oregon average of 47.1.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Washington Elementary School 66.6
  2. 2 Pendleton Early Learning Center 57.4
  3. 3 Sunridge Middle School 57.3
  4. 4 Sherwood Heights Elementary School 55.9
  5. 5 Hawthorne Alternative High School 48.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
50.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Pendleton Sd 16

School Enrollment
Pendleton High School
763
Sunridge Middle School
672
Sherwood Heights Elementary School
439
Washington Elementary School
420
Mckay Creek Elementary School
265
Pendleton Early Learning Center
197
Nixyaawii Community School
Charter
89
Hawthorne Alternative High School
56

How Pendleton Sd 16 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Oregon districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Dallas Sd 2 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Coos Bay Sd 9 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Estacada Sd 108 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Parkrose Sd 3 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
North Wasco County Sd 21 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Pendleton Sd 16's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Oregon

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Portland Sd 1j
44,740 students · 86 schools · $18,429/pupil
Compare vs Pendleton Sd 16 →
Salem-Keizer Sd 24j
39,400 students · 65 schools · $15,528/pupil
Compare vs Pendleton Sd 16 →
Beaverton Sd 48j
38,706 students · 56 schools · $15,015/pupil
Compare vs Pendleton Sd 16 →
Hillsboro Sd 1j
18,920 students · 36 schools · $15,087/pupil
Compare vs Pendleton Sd 16 →
Bend-Lapine Administrative Sd 1
17,360 students · 35 schools · $13,289/pupil
Compare vs Pendleton Sd 16 →

Compare Pendleton Sd 16

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Portland Sd 1j →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Pendleton Sd 16?

Pendleton Sd 16 has 8 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,013 students.

How much does Pendleton Sd 16 spend per student?

Pendleton Sd 16 spends $13,414 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #123 in Oregon.

What is the demographic composition of Pendleton Sd 16?

Pendleton Sd 16 students are 57.0% White, 14.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Pendleton Sd 16?

Pendleton Sd 16 has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #123 out of 160 districts in Oregon.