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John J. Gilligan Digital Academy

Public, Virtual, Alternative Grades K-12

1500^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Alternative Schools

Better than 4% of Ohio alternative schools

Summary

John J. Gilligan Digital Academy is an alternative K–12 school at 425 Ezzard Charles Dr in downtown Cincinnati, serving 367 students across thirteen grade levels as part of Cincinnati Public Schools.

The school's most encouraging story is completion. Graduation climbed from 56.4% in 2022–23 to 68.8% in 2025–26, cutting the gap to the district from about 24 points to roughly 12. Chronic absenteeism fell from 62.5% to 55.7%, though more than half of students are still chronically absent — above the district's 44.6% and above the roughly 49.7% median of nearby schools. Even so, nearby schools post far higher graduation rates: Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students, School For Creative and Performing Arts, and Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy all report 100%, while Oyler School reports 91.4% despite worse absenteeism (64.5%). That contrast suggests attendance alone does not explain outcomes.

Academics are the deeper concern. Average proficiency across 15 tested areas is about 17%, versus roughly 45% district-wide and 60% statewide. Math averages about 6%, including 0% in 6th grade math and 3.5% in Geometry, while ELA averages around 21%. Scores fell in 9 of 13 comparable areas in 2025–26, with American Government (46.8%) the bright spot and the only subject improving four years running. Enrollment is small per grade, so these swings can be volatile. The student-teacher ratio of 27.5:1 is the highest in the comparison — about 76% above the local peer median — and no spending or poverty data is reported for the school.

367

Students ?

27.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,983

Per pupil spending ?

0.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2022-23) ?

425 Ezzard Charles Dr
Cincinnati, OH 45203-1462

(513) 363-2040

District: Cincinnati Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.3%

White:

22.3%

Two or more races:

11.4%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare John J. Gilligan Digital Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 15th percentile in 2023 → 3rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Ohio average (17% vs 60% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2023

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg45%

Ohio avg60%

Elementary school

1,500^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 11 pts since 2023

From bottom 14% (2023) to bottom 4% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,019^th of 1,046

Ohio public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 10 pts since 2023

From bottom 13% (2023) to bottom 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

768^th of 795

Ohio public high schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 12 pts since 2023

From bottom 15% (2023) to bottom 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Alternative Schools in the Cincinnati Public Schools

609^th of 773Cincinnati Public Schools among Ohio districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	4.8	1500 of 1560	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	1292 of 1558	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	1311 of 1577	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	1367 of 1596	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2023	30.1	416 of 610	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2023	9.8	1296 of 1483	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2024	13.1	1302 of 1484	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	1272 of 1447	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2024	17.1	1237 of 1485	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.2	1323 of 1498	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	4.5	1019 of 1046	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.0	826 of 1036	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	883 of 1046	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	914 of 1048	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	11.4	441 of 455	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	326 of 429	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	313 of 436	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	2.0	940 of 947	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.6	898 of 942	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	828 of 943	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	4.1	978 of 996	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	802 of 983	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	821 of 989	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	864 of 974	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	5.3	911 of 955	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	811 of 958	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	869 of 963	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2023	23.7	503 of 590	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2023	3.7	771 of 805	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	2.9	768 of 795	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.4	756 of 855	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	738 of 864	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	735 of 867	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	9.9	280 of 296	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	266 of 328	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	250 of 318	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	263 of 323	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	1.2	756 of 763	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	763 of 809	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.5	723 of 798	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.7	719 of 813	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	2.8	744 of 761	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.4	745 of 815	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	730 of 822	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	706 of 805	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	6.0	718 of 765	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.3	706 of 817	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	712 of 816	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	728 of 819	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	15.4	541 of 575	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.2	527 of 617	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.5	386 of 598	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	344 of 614	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	6.1	671 of 709	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.8	691 of 748	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.9	678 of 754	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	675 of 756	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2023)32nd percentile+17 vs school

Male (2024)17th percentile~ school

Female (2023)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)12th percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2023)15th percentile~ school

Male (2026)5th percentile~ school

White (2023)4th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

High school

Male (2026)6th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)6th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)5th percentile~ school

White (2026)5th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

American Government47%-25 vs state

American History39%-35 vs state

Biology27%-40 vs state

English II22%-41 vs state

English Language Arts20%-39 vs state

Algebra I13%-49 vs state

Science8%-53 vs state

Mathematics5%-51 vs state

Geometry4%-40 vs state

★

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Schools Near John J. Gilligan Digital Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				Ohio State Tests Science (2026)		Ohio State Tests American Government (2026)	Ohio State Tests American History (2026)	Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2026)						Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (2026)						Ohio State Tests Biology (2026)	Ohio State Tests English II (2026)	Ohio State Tests Geometry (2026)	Ohio State Tests Algebra I (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	Ohio State Tests Science 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Science 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests American Government End of Course	Ohio State Tests American History End of Course	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 6th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 6th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests Biology End of Course	Ohio State Tests English II End of Course	Ohio State Tests Geometry End of Course	Ohio State Tests Algebra I End of Course	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
John J. Gilligan Digital Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	425 Ezzard Charles Dr	Cincinnati	45203	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	Yes	(513) 363-2040	367	13	27.5	—	82 (22.3%)	225 (61.3%)	15 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (11.4%)								(n/a)		8.0	46.8	38.6		10.0		0.0	5.9	3.8		30.0		16.7	23.5	11.5	26.9	21.5	3.5	12.9			$20,983
School For Creative and Performing Arts	Public, Alternative	K-12	108 W Central Pkwy	Cincinnati	45202	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(513) 363-8000	1,300	83	15.6	56.2%	373 (28.7%)	751 (57.8%)	33 (2.5%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	135 (10.4%)								(n/a)	34.1	64.9	90.6	91.7	65.4	53.1	31.5	63.0	46.8	35.2	63.4	52.1	64.8	66.3	84.4	78.4	80.2	91.2	35.4	69.6	22.5%	9%	$16,071
Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1425 Linn St	Cincinnati	45214	Hamilton County	Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 684-0777	949	48	19.7	91.8%	6 (0.6%)	862 (90.8%)	34 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.0%)								(n/a)	46.8	37.1	72.6	71.9	64.0	65.4	49.4	26.8	36.7	47.1	84.3	50.0	47.5	39.4	46.8	38.6	75.8	48.5	55.4	58.2	73.4%	0%	$11,862
Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	244 Southern Ave	Cincinnati	45219	Hamilton County	Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 975-3391	381	18	21.7	43.6%	3 (0.8%)	350 (91.9%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)								(n/a)	53.3	41.9	72.7	78.3	90.5	84.2	53.3	19.0	46.7	37.5	95.2	36.8	64.3	38.1	25.8	35.5	57.9	48.0	61.1	44.2	45.9%	0%	$10,505
Oyler School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2121 Hatmaker St	Cincinnati	45204	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 363-4100	512	36	14.0	88.3%	137 (26.8%)	261 (51.0%)	31 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	76 (14.8%)								(n/a)	9.7	29.6	75.0	48.3	4.8	26.7	32.3	16.2	20.0	39.3	23.8	28.9	48.4	5.3	28.6	25.0	17.9	28.1	15.5	35.3	21.3%	2.1%	$16,120
Dr. O?dell Owens Center for Learning	Public, Alternative	K-12	2825 Alms Pl	Cincinnati	45206	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 363-4900	0	9	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)		0.0	9.1	4.2		0.0		10.0	0.0	0.0		8.3		10.0	15.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0			$7,066
Academy Of World Languages School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-9	2030 Fairfax Ave	Cincinnati	45207	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 363-7800	548	38	14.3	65.9%	32 (5.8%)	354 (64.6%)	129 (23.5%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.6%)								(n/a)	24.0	36.2			26.4	25.8	10.0	26.5	10.4	27.7	62.3	21.2	36.0	34.7	28.6	34.0					24.6%	9.8%	$13,955
Western Hills University High School	Public, Alternative	8-12	2144 Ferguson Rd	Cincinnati	45238	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 363-8900	1,342	66	20.3	—	117 (8.7%)	709 (52.8%)	404 (30.1%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	104 (7.7%)								(n/a)			62.1	53.2													33.3	27.8	33.0	39.0			$13,495
Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students	Public, Alternative	3-12	3555 Kellogg Ave	Cincinnati	45226	Hamilton County	Cincinnati Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(513) 363-0000	373	29	13.0	35.7%	205 (55.0%)	117 (31.4%)	7 (1.9%)	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.1%)								(n/a)	97.9	96.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	95.2	93.9	91.9	82.7	89.1	100.0	93.2	97.9	96.1	96.4	94.3	96.0	94.0	83.3	87.2			$16,125
Summit Academy School - Cincinnati	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1660 Sternblock Ln	Cincinnati	45237	Hamilton County	Summit Academy School - Cincinnati	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(513) 321-0561	44	6	8.0	65.9%	17 (38.6%)	22 (50.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (9.1%)								(n/a)			50.0	35.3					6.7						13.3		40.0	25.0					$7,404

Frequently Asked Questions about John J. Gilligan Digital Academy

How many students attend John J. Gilligan Digital Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 367 students attended John J. Gilligan Digital Academy.

What is the racial makeup of John J. Gilligan Digital Academy?

Students at John J. Gilligan Digital Academy are 61% African American, 22% White, 11% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What district is John J. Gilligan Digital Academy in?

Cincinnati Public Schools

Is John J. Gilligan Digital Academy a good school?

John J. Gilligan Digital Academy ranks in the bottom 3.8% of Ohio alternative schools.

Rate John J. Gilligan Digital Academy!

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Latest Ohio data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 15, 2026

2025–26 Ohio State Tests scoresSep 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.