Jennings Community Learning Center

Jennings Community Learning Center is a grades 6–8 middle school in Akron, Ohio, with 846 students—the largest middle school in its comparison group. It ranks 856th of 1,046 Ohio middle schools (18th percentile, 1 star) in 2025–26, roughly matching its district, Akron City, which ranks 643rd of 773 (17th percentile, 1 star). Over the past decade, Jennings has climbed from the 10th to the 18th percentile, with the last two years its best on record, though it has never earned more than 1 star. The improvement is gradual—about one percentile point per year—not a dramatic turnaround.

Proficiency on Ohio State Tests is far below state averages, trailing by about 23 to 34 points in every grade-level subject. Against its own district, Jennings is roughly typical, but math is the clearest weakness, with proficiency between 17.6% and 22.7% across grades. A striking exception is Algebra I, where 92.6% are proficient—about 50 points above the district and 31 above the state—though this reflects a selective group who reach the course early, a pattern shared across Akron City middle schools. Chronic absenteeism is a genuine strength: at 37.7%, it beats the district's 40.9% and has dropped 8.8 points since 2022–23. Jennings also beats Hyre Community Learning Center (50.5%) and Innes Community Learning Center (63.9%) on attendance.

Nearby comparisons show a wide range. I Promise School sits at the 5th percentile with 0 stars, while National Inventors Hall of Fame School Center for STEM is at the 85th percentile with 4 stars; Jennings outperforms I Promise on nearly every tested subject. Two same-district schools, Miller-South Visual Performing Arts and the STEM school, post 3–4 stars and absenteeism under 16%, a ceiling above Jennings within Akron City. Peers like Tallmadge Middle School (72nd percentile, 4 stars) and Cuyahoga Falls Middle School (51st percentile, 3 stars) outperform Jennings by wide margins. Jennings' class size is mid-pack at 14.1 students per teacher, up from 12.8 in 2022–23. Jennings is slowly improving, strong on attendance, weak in math, and performing at the level of its urban district in a region where nearby suburban schools rank much higher.