Middle Schools in Willoughby-Eastlake City

Willoughby-Eastlake City is home to four middle schools serving 1,691 students: three traditional grades 6–8 schools — Willoughby Middle School, Willowick Middle School, and Eastlake Middle School — plus School of Innovation, which serves grades 3–8 and is not directly comparable because it includes elementary grades. The district ranks 416 of 773 districts, at the 46th percentile with 2 stars, but that overall rating masks a striking split between one top-tier school and three traditional schools that mostly sit at or below district and state averages.

School of Innovation is the clear standout, ranking 23 of 1,046 middle schools in 2025–2026 (98th percentile, 5 stars) and earning 5 stars in each of the past three years. Its middle-grade core average is about 88.4%, roughly 32 points above the district's 56.6% and the state's 56.4%, with Algebra I and Geometry End-of-Course scores both at 100% and the lowest chronic absenteeism at 9.4%. Eastlake Middle School is the strongest traditional 6–8 school and the only one above the 50th percentile (52nd, 3 stars), with a core average of about 56.0% that matches district and state levels and an Algebra I EOC score of 100%.

Willoughby Middle School has the largest enrollment at 509 but the weakest traditional core average, about 48.1%, including Math 8 at 27.6% — the lowest 2025–2026 result in this data — and the highest chronic absenteeism at 30.6%. Willowick Middle School is improving, with a core average around 49.5% and notably strong Geometry (86.7%) and Algebra I (80.0%) EOC scores. All three traditional schools improved from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. The main concerns are Willoughby's 8th grade math and high absenteeism at Willoughby and Willowick; the main strength is School of Innovation's sustained top-tier performance.