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Starling Pk-8

Public Grades PK, KG-8
1515th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools
Better than 3% of Ohio elementary schools
Summary

Starling Pk-8 is a public elementary school in the Columbus City Schools District at 145 S Central Ave, Columbus, OH 43222, serving 525 students in grades PK–8. It is the largest same-district elementary school among nearby comparisons, but state results are among Ohio’s lowest: the district ranks 683 of 773 (12th percentile, 1 star), while Starling’s 2025–26 rank is 1515 of 1560 (3rd percentile, 0 stars).

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 70.3% in 2025–26, versus 53.8% districtwide and lower rates at Avondale Elementary School (47.8%), West Mound Elementary School (57.7%), Burroughs Elementary School (58.1%), and United Schools Columbus (49.1%). It has worsened from 61.4% in 2023–24 to 68.0% in 2024–25 and 70.3% in 2025–26. Test proficiency is very low, especially math: average 2025–26 proficiency across 14 reported grade/subject tests is about 13%, versus roughly 34% district and 60% state. Math is in single digits for most grades, including 8th grade 1.5%, 6th grade 3.7%, 7th grade 4.2%, 3rd grade 5.1%, and 5th grade 6.7%, with 4th grade at 20%. ELA is relatively stronger but still low, from 13.4% in 6th grade to 33.3% in 4th grade.

Nearby charters show higher outcomes are achievable nearby. United Schools Columbus, a K–8 charter about 1.16 miles away, outperforms Starling Pk-8 in every 2025–26 tested grade/subject, including 8th-grade math 43.7% vs. 1.5% and 5th-grade ELA 61.1% vs. 22.6%, with 49.1% chronic absenteeism. Educational Academy for Boys & Girls, a K–5 charter about 1.06 miles away, has much higher early-grade proficiency—3rd-grade math 78.6% vs. 5.1% and 4th-grade ELA 56.5% vs. 33.3%—and only 20.6% chronic absenteeism. LINC Academy Columbus also outperforms Starling Pk-8 in 3rd-grade math and ELA. Starling Pk-8 spent $11,250 per student in 2018–19, more than United ($7,368) and Educational Academy ($7,230), so spending alone does not explain the results. Special education students rank relatively higher (24th percentile in 2024–25, 33rd percentile in 2023–24), though still below average. Without addressing chronic absenteeism and math instruction, sustained improvement seems unlikely.

525
Students ?
18.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,138
Per pupil spending ?
0.5%
Directly certified for free meals (2022-23) ?
79.6%
Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)
Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)
 145 S Central Ave
       Columbus, OH  43222-1324

(614) 365-5945

District: Columbus City Schools District

Racial breakdown:

African American:
49.1%
White:
32.6%
Two or more races:
9.9%
more
 See top rated Ohio elementary schools

 Compare Starling Pk-8 to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2016 → 3rd in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Ohio average (24% vs 60% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school24%
District avg34%
Ohio avg60%
Elementary school
1,515th of 1,560
Ohio public elementary schools ?
Bottom 3%▼ down 9 pts since 2016
From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 3% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
1,025th of 1,046
Ohio public middle schools ?
Bottom 2%▼ down 15 pts since 2016
From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Ohio Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
65th of 70Elementary Schools in the Columbus City Schools District
683rd of 773Columbus 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)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20264.01515 of 15602.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20256.31472 of 15585.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20245.41503 of 15774.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20236.91481 of 15967.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20226.41494 of 15885.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20215.01570 of 16102.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20192.91645 of 16761.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20185.21557 of 16364.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20179.71494 of 16519.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201611.51481 of 167811.7%★☆☆☆☆
201512.01496 of 168411.2%★☆☆☆☆
20145.21597 of 16875.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20136.81583 of 17016.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201228.81366 of 170920.1%★☆☆☆☆
201119.71430 of 168615.2%★☆☆☆☆
201015.41450 of 166212.8%★☆☆☆☆
200921.31362 of 161015.4%★☆☆☆☆
20086.41497 of 15825.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20071.11595 of 16090.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20064.61433 of 15044.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20053.21455 of 15013.1%☆☆☆☆☆
200414.01331 of 14719.5%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20267.3626 of 6310.8%☆☆☆☆☆
202514.0579 of 6155.9%☆☆☆☆☆
202416.0547 of 6039.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202318.2531 of 61013.0%★☆☆☆☆
202219.6512 of 60114.8%★☆☆☆☆
201913.2565 of 6056.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201810.5579 of 5983.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
201829.9765 of 102125.1%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20265.01389 of 14524.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20257.91349 of 14527.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.51427 of 14662.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20234.91413 of 14834.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20225.21418 of 14884.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20213.51442 of 14671.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20192.01488 of 15020.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20185.51446 of 15184.7%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20264.21429 of 14672.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20257.11394 of 14735.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20245.81417 of 14844.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.41340 of 14477.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20228.11327 of 14196.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20214.71391 of 14040.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20193.51444 of 14651.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20186.91404 of 14654.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20263.21434 of 14672.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20254.11421 of 14663.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20246.01407 of 14855.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20237.41380 of 14987.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20224.31453 of 15184.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20213.41486 of 14990.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20192.71516 of 15351.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20183.71498 of 15362.5%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
202528.0706 of 93524.5%★☆☆☆☆
202432.9601 of 90033.2%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20264.11149 of 11812.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20251.81157 of 11751.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20240.31186 of 11900.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20230.81203 of 12151.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20220.81229 of 12421.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20210.71244 of 12490.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20190.21271 of 12710.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20180.71307 of 13090.2%☆☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20263.91025 of 10462.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20254.21020 of 10361.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20244.21031 of 10461.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20235.11020 of 10482.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20226.1970 of 10174.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20217.2982 of 10375.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201910.4925 of 105011.9%★☆☆☆☆
20188.7911 of 10109.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201716.6828 of 103820.2%★☆☆☆☆
201615.3872 of 105017.0%★☆☆☆☆
201520.5826 of 103520.2%★☆☆☆☆
201410.4892 of 100811.5%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
202611.0443 of 4552.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202512.4424 of 4424.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20248.6429 of 4290.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20238.5434 of 4360.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201918.0349 of 40513.8%★☆☆☆☆
201816.4352 of 3848.3%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
202220.0517 of 5658.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20197.7657 of 6580.2%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
202611.4166 of 1723.5%☆☆☆☆☆
20259.9139 of 1422.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202411.6122 of 1230.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201923.4102 of 12719.7%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20263.4930 of 9471.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20253.6912 of 9382.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20241.8940 of 9420.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20232.4934 of 9431.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20224.1894 of 9253.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20213.8900 of 9101.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20196.1852 of 9177.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20187.9823 of 8978.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20263.1984 of 9961.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20254.2969 of 9831.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20242.6988 of 9890.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20233.9961 of 9741.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20225.4920 of 9472.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20215.9908 of 9231.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201912.7838 of 94511.3%★☆☆☆☆
201810.4844 of 9248.7%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20264.4932 of 9552.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20253.2942 of 9541.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20242.4957 of 9580.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20233.4954 of 9630.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20223.9934 of 9461.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20214.3915 of 9241.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201911.1824 of 93311.7%★☆☆☆☆
20187.7850 of 9167.2%☆☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankOhio percentileRating
20260.4790 of 7900.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20250.2777 of 7770.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20240.3795 of 7950.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20231.0802 of 8050.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20223.7785 of 8093.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20211.3778 of 7810.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20193.1773 of 7962.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20182.0770 of 7811.4%☆☆☆☆☆
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
Disabled (2018)25th percentile+20 vs school
Special Education (2025)24th percentile+19 vs school
Female (2026)4th percentile~ school
White (2026)3rd percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)3rd percentile~ school
Male (2026)2nd percentile~ school
African American (2026)1st percentile~ school
Middle school
Disabled (2022)8th percentile+4 vs school
English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile~ school
African American (2026)3rd percentile~ school
Male (2026)2nd percentile~ school
Female (2026)2nd percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school
White (2026)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?
Mathematics32%-26 vs state
English Language Arts20%-42 vs state
Science11%-51 vs state

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What people are saying
Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Open Quote My name is Jessica Higgins, used to be Bocook. I went to Dana for all of my elementary school year. I am now grown and have two children of my own. Dana is a great school with great teachers. Peter Ford used to be an art teacher and Erin Honesty is a great teacher as well. They teach what they need and have fun teaching the kids on their level. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Starling Pk-8

Students at Starling Pk-8 are 49% African American, 33% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

Starling Pk-8 ranks in the bottom 2.9% of Ohio elementary schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 525 students attended Starling Pk-8.

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Latest Ohio data All new data »
2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 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.

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