Southwest Local

Southwest Local is a six-school district in Ohio serving about 4,340 students across three elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8), and two high schools (9-12), and it ranks 295th of 773 districts statewide at the 62nd percentile with 3 stars.

The district-wide rating hides enormous differences between schools. Crosby Elementary School is the clear standout: ranked 41st of 1,560 at the 97th percentile with 5 stars, 5 stars in each of the three years shown, and 2025-2026 proficiency scores from 89.2% to 98.2% across seven tests — all above district and state. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 7.0%. Harrison Middle School is strong at 4 stars and the 76th percentile, with Geometry at 100% and Algebra I at 95.5%, though 7th grade math (46.0%) falls slightly below the state's 48.6%. At the other extreme, Wildcat Pathways Academy has 0 stars, a 7th percentile rank, a 67.6% graduation rate, 74.4% chronic absenteeism, and none of its five listed tests above state — including Algebra I at 0%. Its enrollment is only 66, so it barely moves district averages, but its outcomes are far below every other school.

Among the remaining schools, William Henry Harrison High School is the largest (1,122 students) with a 95.4% graduation rate and five of six end-of-course tests above state, but American Government is below state and results swing widely year to year; its chronic absenteeism is 24.7%. Miami Whitewater Elementary School is improving, rising from the 55th to 77th percentile and earning 4 stars, while Harrison Elementary School sits at 3 stars and the 61st percentile with all seven tests below district but above state. Notably, poverty and spending do not determine results: Miami Whitewater has a 50.0% free/reduced lunch rate yet performs well, Crosby has the highest student-teacher ratio (27.0) yet is top-ranked, and 2018-2019 spending ranges from $5,960 to $10,605 per student without tracking outcomes.