St. Helens School District
Listed by NCES as St Helens SD 502 (district ID 4111720)
Public school district · Columbia County · Oregon · NCES district ID 4111720
St. Helens School District spent $15,027 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 60% of the other Oregon districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $15,368). Its 8 schools enrolled 2,856 students in 2024-25; 53.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,493 per student, up 3.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 74% (Oregon: 81.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Oregon districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to St. Helens in enrollment (2,617 to 3,030 students) and St. Helens itself.
Where the money came from
$51,962,000 in revenue: 53.6% state, 38.2% local and 8.2% federal. Total spending including $24,165,000 of capital outlay was $73,676,000, or $26,043 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$27,844,000 54%
- Local$19,835,000 38%
- Federal$4,283,000 8%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 93 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,757 students in 2022-23, 2,764 students in 2023-24, 2,856 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,757 | 158.2 | 17.4 |
| 2023-24 | 2,764 | 150.0 | 18.4 |
| 2024-25 | 2,856 | 154.5 | 18.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$11,864,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,194 per student
St. Helens School District booked $11,864,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 159 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $74,518 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 78 in 100 Oregon districts with a figure (state median $65,110, 168 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Oregon teacher salary at $69,671 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $9,806,000 | 82.7% |
| Special education | $1,048,000 | 8.8% |
| Vocational | $615,000 | 5.2% |
| Other programs | $395,000 | 3.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,564 in 2018-19, $3,502 in 2019-20, $3,841 in 2020-21, $4,164 in 2021-22, $4,194 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in St. Helens School District scored proficient or above: 32% in reading and 18% in math, against 44% in reading and 30.6% in math across Oregon. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Oregon, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Oregon | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 32% | 44% | 1,216 |
| Math | 18% | 30.6% | 1,202 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
74% of the 253 students in St. Helens School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 81.3% across Oregon. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Oregon | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 74% | 81.3% |
| Students in the class | 253 | 46,371 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
4 elementary schools, 1,252 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McBride Elementary School | 452 | 17.9 | 73.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Lewis & Clark Elementary School | 426 | 16.8 | 72.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Columbia City School | 214 | 17.8 | 72.9% | Schoolwide program |
| St Helens Arthur Academy | 160 | 11.0 | 33.8% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 563 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens Middle School | 563 | 18.4 | 73.0% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 888 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens High School | 823 | 21.4 | 72.7% | Not Title I |
| Plymouth High School | 65 | 19.6 | 73.8% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 153 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helens Virtual Academy | 153 | 30.6 | not reported | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact St. Helens School District
- Website: sthelens.k12.or.us
- Phone: (503) 397-3085
- Office: 474 N 16th St, St Helens, OR 97051
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about St. Helens School District
- Oregon districts by spending per studentSt. Helens School District ranks 56 of 93 Oregon districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,027).#56 of 93
- Every school district in OregonSt. Helens School District is the number 50 by size of 207 Oregon districts, with 2,829 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#50 of 207
- North Wasco County SD 21The next larger Oregon district: 2,841 students in fall 2022, $16,322 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,322
- Jefferson County SD 509JThe next smaller Oregon district: 2,826 students in fall 2022, $19,104 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,104
- Compare St. Helens School District with North Wasco County SD 21Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- St Helens High School, its largest high school823 students in 2024-25, 21.4 per teacher.823
- Teacher salary spending across OregonSt. Helens School District spent $74,518 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $65,110); spending, not a salary.$74,518
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about St. Helens School District
How many schools and students are in St. Helens School District?
8 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 1 other), enrolling 2,856 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does St. Helens School District spend per student?
$15,027 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Oregon median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $15,368 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,493 per student, up 3.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does St. Helens School District's money come from?
$51,962,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 53.6% state, 38.2% local and 8.2% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in St. Helens School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 401 of the 3,411 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 11.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does St. Helens School District spend on teacher salaries?
$11,864,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,194 per student. Divided by the 159 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $74,518 per teacher, more than 78 in 100 Oregon districts (state median $65,110). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Oregon teacher salary at $69,671 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in St. Helens School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in St. Helens School District scored proficient or above: 32% in reading and 18% in math, against 44% in reading and 30.6% in math across Oregon. Oregon's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in St. Helens School District?
74% of the 253 students in St. Helens School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 81.3% across Oregon. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is St. Helens School District's NCES district ID?
4111720. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25