Jacob Wismer Elementary School

5477 Northwest Skycrest Parkway

School District

Beaverton 48j
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

public

School Map for Beaverton School District 48j

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 09, 2024

This school is diverse and families are nice, most are high acheivers. Teachers are kind. But learning is mediocre. Kids don't learn much and are not challenged here, nor do those who need help get the help they need. The class sizes in K and 1st grade are in the 30s. Overall I don't recommend this school if you want your kid to learn and be challenged in the right ways. We are looking elsewhere for our family.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2020

we attended this school for 3 years and we had to move to another state. I have to say my child is way ahead of other kids in class now thanks to Jacob wismer. We really enjoyed being part of this school for few years and we miss it very badly. I wish all schools were as good as this school
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2014

My son attended this school last year and we moved this year and to our surprise he did not do well at the test for his grade level in other state. JW always told they taught at a higher grade level and to my surprise they did not!!!
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2014

I believe this school is rated so high based on the students that attend, not on the administration. This area is very affluent and therefore the majority of the students are over-achievers. If all of these students were suddenly transplanted to a lower-rated school, that school's test scores would sky rocket and all of a sudden that school would be a 10/10. The principal at this school has made many questionable decisions when dealing with students and some teachers seem very nervous to say or do anything to assert themselves towards the principle - I prefer a school where the principal looks to the staff for input, not a dictatorship. Teachers are really great though - they all seem to care about the kids which is nice, however, if you're looking for advanced education, you won't find it here. We are looking at other alternatives that are truly more well rounded and not just based so heavily on test scores - because, as I said before, the majority of the kids here would test just as well no matter what school they attend.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2014

I have 3 children who have attended (two still attending) Jacob Wismer. I think it would be hard to find a school as great as this one. The teachers are great. I can say that because we have had 11 of them between my 3 children. They are progressive, energetic, kind, communicative, and we have not had a bad experience yet. The building is nice with a huge library at the heart and center. We have found the other children high achieving academically & well mannered. If I had to point out a negative, it would be that after school clubs & activities are not that impressive & that the class sizes are large (27 in 1st grade this year, 31 in 4th.) Also, the students are so high achieving that my average kids feel like they are not as smart as everyone else at times. The school has a very high population of Asian students. So much that my caucasian children are a minority. This is a unique experience for my kids to be having & I am hopeful that it is making them more open & accepting of other cultures.Lots of parents volunteer & the teachers seem to welcome the help. I have found the other parents to be very nice and definitely highly educated. All in all, great school.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2012

Whether or not you get a good teacher at this school is very hit or miss. We have had one that was so-so, one that was good and one that was absolutely fantastic. The leadership in this building is abysmal. The principal seems incapable of making decisions and when she does they are usually bad ones. Class sizes are up to about 29-30 students per class and will be even higher next year. All that being said, this school has an incredible parent volunteer base that provides opportunities for the students that would not otherwise be available, like: Junior Great Books, Passport Club and Art Literacy. Also, because many of the students at this school come from Intel and Nike families, many, many of these students are high achievers and come from families where academics are very important.
Submitted by other on February 23, 2012

I went to Jacob Wismer the first year that it opened. It started off great, with a responsible principal and nice kids. Everyone was very involved and it really felt like a community. The environment was very nice. However, the principal changed after a while, and lots of staff left as the years went by... many of the teachers kept getting pregnant. The hiring of teachers is very biased; they keep on hiring young females who pick favorites. The school has lots of money but wastes it on technology; they get the newest computers like every single year. I went to visit a couple years later when I was in high school and it was a wreck.
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2011

Jacob Wismer is incredibly underwhelming. There is absolutely no leadership in this school. If you have a shy, studious child, he or she will be overrun by the bullies/obnoxious children. Wismer promotes 'group punishment', so again, if you have quiet children, as we do, they will lose their recess time because regularly thanks to the misbehaved children in the bunch. Militaristic style with no consistency. If you have young children, and considering a move to Beaverton, look at Bethany, Terra Linda, or Cedar Mill. The only positive I can think of is the tremendous parent involvement.