East Community Learning Center

East Community Learning Center is a large Akron City school serving grades 6–12 with 923 students, making it one of the biggest schools in its area and one of the few that includes middle grades alongside high school. In 2025–2026 it ranked 710 of 795 Ohio high schools (11th percentile, 1 star), down from 646 of 855 (24th percentile) the year before. Its district, Akron City, ranks 643 of 773 statewide.

Academically, East scores below both district and state averages in nearly every tested subject. The bright spot is American Government, where 59.8% of students were proficient — above the district's 57.9% but below the state's 71.6%. The weakest areas include 8th grade math (5.2%), 6th grade math (8.2%), Biology (20.3%), and English II (22.1%); East ranked last among same-district high schools in the last two. Compared with nearby schools, East beats Garfield Community Learning Center in government, history, geometry, and Algebra I, and beats North High School in government and Algebra I, but generally trails Ellet Community Learning Center and is far behind National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM High School at Robinson CLC and Akron Early College High School. Because East serves grades 6–12, it reports middle-school scores that neighboring high schools do not — and those scores are very low.

Attendance is East's most defining challenge: 66.9% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, well above the district's 40.9%, though improved from 81.2% in 2021–2022. The graduation rate rose to 91.1% in 2024–2025 before slipping to 86.2%, below the district's 90.3%. No student subgroup ranked above the 35th percentile; multiracial students were highest at 35th, while gifted students (6th) and male students (8th) were lowest. Notably, class sizes and per-student spending look similar to other Akron City comprehensive high schools, so resources alone don't explain the gaps.