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Watkins Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1529^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,558 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Watkins Elementary School is a public elementary school in Columbus, Ohio, serving 279 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Columbus City Schools District, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks 688 out of 828 districts in the state.

Watkins Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Ohio elementary schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 52.6% to 66.5% in recent years, well above the district and state averages. Academically, Watkins students perform well below the district and state averages on Ohio State Tests across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 8.3% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in Science, compared to 30.5% for the district and 63.4% for the state.

The performance issues at Watkins Elementary are not unique, as the nearby Southwood Elementary and Moler Elementary schools also perform poorly and have similar low rankings and academic outcomes. However, the Ohio Achievement Charter Schools Inc. dba Millennium Community and South Scioto Academy generally outperform the traditional public schools in the area, particularly in mathematics and English language arts.

278

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,937

Per pupil spending ?

97.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1520 Watkins Rd
Columbus, OH 43207-3320

(614) 365-6411

District: Columbus City Schools District

Students who attend Watkins Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Buckeye Middle School
High:	Marion-Franklin High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.6%

Two or more races:

14.4%

White:

12.2%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Watkins Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2015 → 2nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Ohio average (17% vs 64% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school17%

District avg37%

Ohio avg64%

1,529^th of 1,558

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

64^th of 70Elementary Schools in the Columbus City Schools District

688^th of 828Columbus City Schools District 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2025	3.5	1529 of 1558	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.9	1529 of 1577	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	1466 of 1596	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.1	1528 of 1588	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.9	1577 of 1610	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.3	1554 of 1676	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	1471 of 1636	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	5.1	1580 of 1651	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.9	1550 of 1678	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	13.5	1477 of 1684	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	4.2	1611 of 1687	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.6	1570 of 1701	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.6	1610 of 1709	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.7	1583 of 1686	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.6	1616 of 1662	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.7	1564 of 1610	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	8.9	1466 of 1582	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	12.0	1457 of 1609	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	8.0	1404 of 1504	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	6.0	1423 of 1501	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	0.5	1462 of 1471	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2025	14.9	571 of 615	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	549 of 603	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	506 of 610	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	548 of 601	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	520 of 533	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	517 of 605	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	524 of 598	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	14.8	792 of 824	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.4	764 of 765	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.7	907 of 956	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2025	2.7	1435 of 1452	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	1444 of 1466	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.6	1377 of 1483	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.9	1467 of 1488	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.5	1461 of 1467	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	1365 of 1502	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	1335 of 1518	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2025	3.6	1446 of 1473	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.9	1445 of 1484	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	1312 of 1447	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.5	1370 of 1419	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.7	1390 of 1404	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	1355 of 1465	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	1321 of 1465	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2025	3.5	1430 of 1466	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.6	1443 of 1485	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.4	1376 of 1498	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.9	1465 of 1518	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.5	1485 of 1499	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.1	1486 of 1535	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	1412 of 1536	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)7th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2022)4th percentile~ school

Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Ohio (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts20%-43 vs state

Mathematics16%-48 vs state

Science8%-55 vs state

★

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Schools Near Watkins Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Ohio State Tests Science (2025)		Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2025)						Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (2025)						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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Ohio State Tests Science 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Science 8th Grade	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	Total
Watkins Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1520 Watkins Rd	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-6411	278	15	18.5		34 (12.2%)	174 (62.6%)	28 (10.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (14.4%)	3.5	1529^th of 1558 public elementary schools	1.9%		3.9	1529^th of 1577 public elementary schools	3.0%		8.3		20.4	18.4	8.3				28.6	13.2	19.4				$14,937
South Columbus Preparatory Academy at Southfield	Public, Charter	K-8	3220 Groveport Rd	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	South Columbus Preparatory Academy at Southfield	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 986-0116	249	15	16.6		30 (12.0%)	149 (59.8%)	29 (11.6%)	5 (2.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	33 (13.3%)	63.7	649^th of 1558 public elementary schools	58.3%		38.9	1047^th of 1577 public elementary schools	33.6%	398	83.3	42.9	67.7	78.9	50.0	22.2	30.0	7.1	58.1	84.2	83.3	66.7	50.0	7.1	$11,575
Summit Academy Community School-Columbus	Public, Charter	K-8	2521 Fairwood Ave Ste 100	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Summit Academy Community School-Columbus	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 237-5497	54	6	9.0		11 (20.4%)	34 (63.0%)	4 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.3%)								(n/a)		0.0						0.0						0.0
South Scioto Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2200 Winslow Dr	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	South Scioto Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 445-7684	224	13	17.2		6 (2.7%)	182 (81.3%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.8%)	57.7	764^th of 1558 public elementary schools	51.0%		35.2	1083^rd of 1577 public elementary schools	31.3%	319	10.5	59.3	82.4	81.3	36.8	73.7	38.1	40.7	82.4	75.0	84.2	5.3	23.8	32.1	$12,042
Moler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1201 Moler Rd	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-5529	287	17	16.8		37 (12.9%)	175 (61.0%)	37 (12.9%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.8%)	3.6	1527^th of 1558 public elementary schools	2.0%		3.9	1531^st of 1577 public elementary schools	2.9%	4	4.2		20.5	4.0	23.1	0.0			20.5	15.4	19.2	2.6			$18,351
Cedarwood Alternative Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	775 Bartfield Dr	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-5421	326	19	17.1		123 (37.7%)	114 (35.0%)	34 (10.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	52 (16.0%)	25.3	1175^th of 1558 public elementary schools	24.6%		22.9	1229^th of 1577 public elementary schools	22.1%	54	52.0		46.9	37.8	34.0				38.8	37.8	58.0				$14,492
Parsons Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3231 Lee Ellen Pl	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-5099	365	21	17.3		195 (53.4%)	100 (27.4%)	37 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.8%)	10.4	1399^th of 1558 public elementary schools	10.2%		7.9	1452^nd of 1577 public elementary schools	7.9%	53	28.3		22.7	37.5	17.4				23.9	35.0	41.3				$14,108
Lincoln Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	579 E Markison Ave	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-5524	232	12	19.3		64 (27.6%)	120 (51.7%)	21 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	26 (11.2%)	5.6	1487^th of 1558 public elementary schools	4.6%		9.4	1413^th of 1577 public elementary schools	10.4%	74	9.4		10.8	21.7	3.1	22.7			19.4	26.1	15.6	21.7			$19,832
Ohio Achievement Charter Schools Inc. dba Millennium Commun	Public, Charter	K-8	3500 Refugee Rd	Columbus	43232	Franklin County	Ohio Achievement Charter Schools Inc. dba Millennium Commun	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(614) 255-5585	489	10	48.9		1 (0.2%)	472 (96.5%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	24.2	1196^th of 1558 public elementary schools	23.2%		18.2	1276^th of 1577 public elementary schools	19.1%	80	36.2	19.6	50.0	40.8	40.4	9.8	22.2	15.7	38.8	28.6	70.2	33.3	42.2	27.5	$10,848
Southwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1500 S 4th St	Columbus	43207	Franklin County	Columbus City Schools District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(614) 365-5553	309	16	19.3		113 (36.6%)	136 (44.0%)	24 (7.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.0%)	9.5	1420^th of 1558 public elementary schools	8.9%		5.4	1504^th of 1577 public elementary schools	4.6%	84	16.7		30.0	25.0	13.6	23.7			35.0	28.0	30.2	25.6			$14,003

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Elementary School

How many students attend Watkins Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 278 students attended Watkins Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Watkins Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Watkins Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Buckeye Middle School
High : Marion-Franklin High School

What district is Watkins Elementary School in?

Columbus City Schools District

What is the racial makeup of Watkins Elementary School?

Students at Watkins Elementary School are 63% African American, 14% Two or more races, 12% White, 10% Hispanic.

Is Watkins Elementary School a good school?

Watkins Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.9% of Ohio elementary schools.

Rate Watkins Elementary School!

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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.