Dayton Regional STEM Schools

Dayton Regional STEM Schools is a K–12 alternative public school in Kettering, Ohio (1724 Woodman Dr), serving 801 students and operating as its own district — substantially larger than the nearby alternative schools it is often compared with, which enroll anywhere from 7 to 313 students.

Academically, the school is exceptionally strong. On the 2025–26 Ohio State Tests, every reported subject and grade scored above the state average, often by wide margins: Biology 94.5% vs. 67.0% statewide, American Government 95.9% vs. 71.6%, Algebra I 93.4% vs. 61.6%, and English II 91.1% vs. 62.7%. That strength spans STEM and humanities. Nearby alternatives trail far behind — Science 8 at 91.7% versus 55.9% at Community STE(A)M Academy - Xenia, 36.4% at Summit Academy School–Dayton, and 23.1% at Summit Academy Community School Alternative Learners -Xenia. Community STE(A)M Academy - Xenia is the closest peer and posts solid social studies results (86.4% government, 88.5% history), but lags in math, science, and ELA. One anomaly: 6th grade math sat below the state average for three years (42.5%, 37.2%, 38.7%) before leaping to 71.4% in 2025–26 — worth watching to see whether it holds. The narrowest gap was 4th grade math, 70% vs. 67.3%.

Attendance and graduation are equally strong. The graduation rate is 98.7% in 2025–26, barely changed from 100% in the three prior years — far above the roughly 60%–64% at the two Summit Academy schools. Chronic absenteeism is 8.2%, compared with 34.7% at Community STEAM, 67.9% and 64.0% at the Summit schools, and 26.8% at The International School. Only the tiny Mad River Local Schools Remote Learning Center (28 students) is comparable, at 9.6%. Free/reduced lunch has risen from 10.64% (2022–23) to 17.48% (2024–25), still below Community STEAM's 37.83%. Class sizes are larger (student-teacher ratio 18.5–20.3) than these neighbors, yet results are stronger. Keep in mind that spending data is dated (2018–19), many nearby schools have missing data, and proficiency rates are not growth measures.