Best Public Schools in Manchester, OH

Manchester, Ohio is served by Manchester Local, a small district with two schools: Manchester Elementary School for grades PK–6 and Manchester High School for grades 7–12, together enrolling 687 students. The district ranks 447 of 773 Ohio districts, in the 42nd percentile with 2 stars, and both schools share that district context. Because there is no middle school, the high school includes grades 7–8, so its middle-grade results are effectively the district’s middle-school results.

Compared with each other, the elementary school’s clearest strength is 5th grade math: 82.9% proficient in 2025–2026 versus 59.1% statewide, after 86.0% the prior year. Fifth grade science is also above state, but 3rd grade math fell sharply from 67.3% to 34.1%, now 28.0 points below state, and 4th and 6th grade ELA are below state in both years. The high school has a 98.3% graduation rate and strong American Government results, 81.8% versus 71.6% statewide. Middle-grade math improved notably: 7th grade rose from 35.4% to 60.5%, and 8th grade rose from 38.9% to 57.5%, both now above state. Geometry remains a serious weakness at 22.1% versus 43.3%, and American History is below state. Chronic absenteeism is 13.4% at the high school, above the district’s 12.2% and the elementary school’s 11.1%.

Both schools’ rank percentiles fell in 2025–2026: the elementary went from 55th to 44th, and the high school from 45th to 36th. The elementary’s average test scores were above state in 2024–2025, 66.1% versus 61.2%, but below state in 2025–2026, 59.2% versus 62.1%; the high school stayed roughly at state both years. Free/reduced lunch data are blank, and spending data are from 2018–2019, so economic and resource comparisons are limited. Overall strengths include 5th grade math, high school government, middle-grade math improvement, and graduation; concerns include early elementary math, upper elementary ELA, and high school geometry.