Best Public Schools in Lucas, OH

Lucas, Ohio has three public schools serving grades K–12 — one elementary, one middle, and one high school — all within the Lucas Local district. Total enrollment is 410 students: Lucas Elementary School (K–5, 200 students), Lucas Heritage Middle School (6–7, 70 students), and Lucas High School (8–12, 140 students). The district overall is ranked 213th of 773 Ohio districts, at the 72nd percentile with 4 stars, but that district rating masks uneven school-level performance. Because the middle and high schools are small, a handful of students can move proficiency rates by many percentage points, so single-year changes are best read alongside multi-year trends.

Lucas Elementary School is the standout: in 2025–26 it ranked 128th of 1,560 schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars), up from 84th and then 74th percentile in the two prior years. It beat state averages in every listed subject, averaging roughly 86.5% proficiency versus about 63.8% statewide — about 22.7 percentage points higher. Its chronic absenteeism is just 4.9%, well below the district's 9.1%, even though 73% of its students are eligible for free/reduced lunch. By comparison, Lucas Heritage Middle School (56th percentile, 3 stars) scored above state in 6th and 7th grade math (67.6% and 59.4%) but below state in 6th and 7th grade ELA (51.4% and 54.5%), with low absenteeism of 5.0%.

Lucas High School posts a 96.9% graduation rate and beat state averages in all nine listed tests, averaging about 71.2% versus roughly 61.2% statewide, with its strongest results in English II (84.2%) and Biology (83.8%). Its rating was 3 stars at the 67th percentile, with ranks fluctuating from 246th to 333rd to 266th. The clear warning sign is chronic absenteeism of 19.6% — more than double the district rate and about four times the elementary and middle school rates. Spending and staffing do not track outcomes simply: the high school spends the most per student ($11,077) with the lowest student–teacher ratio (10.7) yet has the highest absenteeism, while the elementary school has the highest ratio (13.3) and the best results.