We started this because we couldn't find it anywhere else.
When our oldest was heading to kindergarten, we tried to compare Portland schools the way you'd compare anything else: side by side, same facts for each. That tool didn't exist. Ratings sites covered public and private and stopped there, often with data several years old; nobody put forest schools, homeschool enrichment programs, microschools, and charters in the same columns as PPS.
So we started a spreadsheet for our own search. The spreadsheet kept growing, other parents kept asking for copies, and at some point it made more sense to put it online than to keep emailing it around. That spreadsheet is now Primerly.
225 schools. 120 columns each. Checked by hand.
Every school in the database goes through the same worksheet: enrollment, test scores, tuition, aftercare, transportation, learning approach, and on down 120 columns. Public school numbers come from the Oregon Department of Education and NCES, not scraped aggregates.
When a school can't answer a column, the cell stays empty. We don't guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you source your test scores, diversity data, and enrollment numbers?
For PPS and other public districts, we use only official state and national sources: the Oregon Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics.
You may see numbers that differ from aggregate sites like Niche or GreatSchools. That's usually because their automated systems aren't using the most recent datasets. We manually research each school one by one to make sure we're using the latest available information.
Most test scores currently on Primerly are from the 2024-2025 school year, though a few schools still show 2023-2024 results where newer data hasn't yet been released. Every year when new scores are released we will update them.
Private school information is not required to be publicly available, so there may be missing or incomplete information. Stats we use for private schools are self-reported by the schools, so it's best to reach out to the school directly for details if a particular metric is important to your family.
How often do you update the school pages?
Our school pages are live-linked to our database, so whenever we get new information and enter it, it appears on the site automatically.
That said, schools host events and make changes frequently. We try to stay as current as possible, but if you need truly up-to-the-minute details, it's always best to contact the school directly or check their website.
Will new schools be added or is this it?
New schools will absolutely be added as more diverse schooling options emerge in our area.
If you're starting a new program and would like to be included, please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.
Hey, my kid's school isn't on here. What gives?
Please tell us. We've worked hard to include as many schools as possible, but we know we've likely missed some.
Right now we focus primarily on the Portland metro area, with PPS as our main public school focus. For public districts outside PPS, we've highlighted a handful of charter options that PPS families can apply to, but we haven't yet tackled neighborhood schools in surrounding districts. Expanding into those areas is a goal of ours, we're just not there yet.
Are your reviews or write-ups influenced by advertising or sponsorships?
No.
Our reviews are compiled from a range of public online sources, including Niche, GreatSchools, Yelp, Reddit, Facebook forums, and similar discussion sites. We summarize and highlight feedback that appears consistently across sources, both positive and negative, and present it without editorial bias or influence from advertising or sponsorships.
Is Primerly still in beta? What's next for Primerly?
Yes, Primerly is in its early chapters, and we're still actively building and refining the experience. Right now, we're focused on helping Portland-area families make sense of their K-12 options with clearer data and more context than they'll find in a typical ratings site.
Over the coming months, you'll see more schools, more neighborhoods, and more ways to filter for what matters to your family, things like learning approach, support services, transportation, and aftercare.
Because we're in beta, your feedback truly shapes what comes next. When parents tell us what's confusing, what's missing, or what they wish they could see, we turn that into our roadmap.
How can I share feedback?
We want your feedback, it's how Primerly gets better for every family.
If you spot something that's off, information that is incorrect or outdated, or want to suggest a school we should add, you can reach us anytime at courtney@primerly.org, or through the contact page.
Tell us what you're trying to do, what's getting in the way, or what you think we're missing. Every message is read by a real person on our small team, and we use this input to decide what to build next.
Can you include my homeschool pod?
We typically do not include homeschool pods. Due to their transitive nature, it's too difficult for us to verify information on a pod over time. It's also common for pods to dissolve, change, and reform, making it impossible to track.
Pods are great though. If you are seeking to join one, we suggest homeschool discussion forums and Facebook groups.