Ohio Report Cards: 10% of Schools Struggle to Meet Benchmarks
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released its 2025 state report cards on Monday, showing that nearly 10% of Ohio’s school districts need support to meet state standards.
The report uses a 1-to-5 star rating system in six categories: achievement, progress, early literacy, gap closing, graduation, and college/career/military readiness.
District Performance Highlights
- 13 districts earned 2 stars (Needs support).
- 44 districts earned 2.5 stars (Needs support).
- 102 districts earned 3 stars (Meets standards).
- 159 districts earned 3.5 stars (Meets standards).
- 147 districts earned 4 stars (Exceeds standards).
- 95 districts earned 4.5 stars (Exceeds standards).
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47 districts earned 5 stars (Significantly exceeds standards).
Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district, earned 2 stars. Toledo Public Schools also earned 2 stars, while Cincinnati Public Schools and Cleveland Municipal earned 2.5 stars.
Statewide Trends
- Reading proficiency dipped slightly from 60.9% (2023-24) to 60.4% (2024-25).
- Math proficiency improved from 53.5% to 55.3%.
- Chronic absenteeism stayed high at 25.1%.
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Graduation rate rose slightly to 88.3%, though Dayton Public Schools had the lowest at 68.6%.
Governor Mike DeWine highlighted the state’s focus on the Science of Reading, while Director Stephen D. Dackin stressed the importance of using report cards as “a building block for data-driven decisions.”
The report also tracked use of private school vouchers, with Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati Public Schools among the highest in EdChoice participation.
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to education. Ensuring literacy, academic growth, and access to resources in all school districts is key to fulfilling this right.
