Summary:
Southwest Licking Local (OH) is a two-school district serving high school students through Watkins Memorial High School, a large grades 9–12 comprehensive campus with 1,397 students, and SWL Digital Academy, a small online school of 75 students that serves grades 7–12; the district overall sits at 308 of 773 (60th percentile) with 3 stars, a figure that hides a big gap between its two schools.
Watkins Memorial High School is the academic standout, holding 4 stars in each of the last three years (237 of 795 in 2025–26, 155 of 855 in 2024–25, and 202 of 864 in 2023–24). Its graduation rate is 97.8%, a bit above the district's 97.0%, and in 2025–26 it scored above the state in every reported subject except Integrated Math I — for example, 90.5% in American History versus the state's 73.2%, and 77.8% in English II versus 62.7%. Math is its relative soft spot: Geometry was 55.4% in 2025–26 and 53.8% in 2024–25, and Algebra I ran slightly below the district both years. Chronic absenteeism is 27.3%, higher than the district's 16.2%. Its rank slipped from the 82nd to the 70th percentile, still a strong position.
SWL Digital Academy faces clear challenges: 1 star in all three recent years (620 of 795 in 2025–26, 664 of 855 in 2024–25, 768 of 864 in 2023–24), an 88.9% graduation rate below the district's 97.0%, and chronic absenteeism of 66.5% — more than four times the district rate and nearly 2.5 times Watkins Memorial's. Its reported academics are thin: American Government went from 64.3% to 72.7%, just above the state, while Geometry was 0% in both years against a district figure of 54.5%. With only 75 students, percentages swing easily, and the school reports no free/reduced lunch, student-teacher ratio, or spending data. Parents should weigh the small size and missing data alongside the low rankings and high absenteeism.
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