Stayton Middle School

Stayton is a small, tight-knit town in the foothills of the Cascade Range, about 20 miles east of Salem, where the pace of life is slower and the community runs deep. Stayton Middle School serves families who are rooted in that rural Oregon lifestyle, and while its academic scores sit in the lower quarter statewide, it offers the kind of smaller-school environment where kids aren't just a number. Families drawn to a quieter, more agricultural community — and who are prepared to supplement academics at home or through tutoring — may find the school's close community feel to be a good fit for their middle schooler.