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Defiance Elementary School

Q: Is Defiance Elementary School a good school?

Defiance Elementary School ranks 789 th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

789^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Defiance Elementary School is a K–5 school in Defiance, Ohio, serving 1,075 students, which makes it the largest elementary school among the nearby small-town and rural schools in this comparison.

For parents, the school’s overall performance is close to the median Ohio elementary school: it ranked 789th of 1,560 Ohio elementary schools in 2025–26 (49th percentile, 2 stars), and it matches its district, Defiance City, almost exactly. The school serves a high-poverty population, with a 75.4% free/reduced lunch rate in 2023–24—the highest among nearby schools with reported data. Chronic absenteeism has improved a lot, from 31.0% in 2021–22 to 14.2% in 2025–26, but it remains higher than nearby schools such as Fairview Elementary School (8.4%), Napoleon Elementary School (6.8%), and Miller City Elementary School (0.8%). In 2025–26, 3rd and 4th grade math and ELA were near or above state averages, but 5th grade lagged: math 53.9% vs. 59.1% statewide, ELA 67.1% vs. 70.4%, and science 59.3% vs. 62.7%. Nearby high performers like Ayersville Elementary School, Oakwood Elementary School, and Miller City Elementary School score far higher in 5th grade, though Paulding Elementary School is lower in 5th grade math and science.

Resources may be a constraint: per-student spending was $9,595 in 2018–19, lower than most nearby schools with reported spending, such as Ayersville Elementary School ($11,868), Holgate Elementary School ($12,046), Fairview Elementary School ($10,431), and Oakwood Elementary School ($10,511). The student–teacher ratio was 16.2 in 2024–25, about middle of the pack. The school’s overall 49th percentile hides wide differences: low-income students ranked 70th percentile and special education students 34th percentile in 2025–26. Because its performance mirrors Defiance City and nearby schools often match or exceed their districts, the challenge looks systemic rather than isolated to one building. The biggest opportunities are further reducing chronic absenteeism, targeting 5th grade instruction, and strengthening special education support.

1,075

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,159

Per pupil spending ?

66.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

97%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

400 Carter Rd
Defiance, OH 43512-8970

(419) 782-0070

District: Defiance City

Students who attend Defiance Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Defiance Middle School
High:	Defiance High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.2%

Hispanic:

28.5%

Two or more races:

8.9%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Defiance Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 42nd percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg64%

Ohio avg64%

789^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

404^th of 773Defiance City 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
2026	56.3	789 of 1560	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.7	901 of 1558	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.2	788 of 1577	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	846 of 1596	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.7	854 of 1588	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	873 of 1610	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.1	982 of 1676	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	981 of 1636	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.1	984 of 1651	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.8	969 of 1678	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	62.5	779 of 1684	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.7	876 of 1687	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	64.7	785 of 1701	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.4	830 of 1709	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.3	1004 of 1686	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	74.5	102 of 601	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	79.6	67 of 533	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.3	161 of 605	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.3	178 of 598	70.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	18.7	749 of 824	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	42.1	409 of 765	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.9	450 of 956	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.3	540 of 1021	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	50.4	830 of 1452	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	869 of 1452	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.9	729 of 1466	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	773 of 1483	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	863 of 1488	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	905 of 1467	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.2	906 of 1502	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	938 of 1518	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2021	52.2	130 of 219	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	70 of 315	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	59.8	87 of 259	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	56 of 234	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	59 of 233	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	64.1	55 of 216	74.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.7	45 of 189	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	65.1	60 of 228	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	56.9	91 of 239	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	435 of 1467	70.3%	★★★★☆
2025	60.6	617 of 1473	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	646 of 1484	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	737 of 1447	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.5	627 of 1419	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.8	648 of 1404	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.4	865 of 1465	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.8	851 of 1465	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	686 of 1467	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.9	867 of 1466	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.2	767 of 1485	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	807 of 1498	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	821 of 1518	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.6	757 of 1499	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	908 of 1535	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.0	928 of 1536	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	77.4	40 of 220	81.8%	★★★★☆
2025	63.4	79 of 218	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.8	66 of 202	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	606 of 914	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	520 of 935	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.6	501 of 900	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.5	721 of 856	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	860 of 1181	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.9	843 of 1175	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.3	755 of 1190	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.5	802 of 1215	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.3	863 of 1242	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.9	893 of 1249	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.8	939 of 1271	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	923 of 1309	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2022)83rd percentile+37 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)82nd percentile+32 vs school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile+21 vs school

Male (2026)53rd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2021)41st percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)34th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2022)9th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics65%~ state avg

English Language Arts65%~ state avg

Science59%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Defiance Elementary School

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Ohio State Tests Science (2026)	Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2026)				Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (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	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Ohio State Tests Science 5th 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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Defiance Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 Carter Rd	Defiance	43512	Defiance County	Defiance City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 782-0070	1,075	66	16.2	—	636 (59.2%)	31 (2.9%)	306 (28.5%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (8.9%)	56.3	789^th of 1560 public elementary schools	49.4%		49.7	901^st of 1558 public elementary schools	42.2%	112	59.3	68.7	73.4	53.9		65.1	62.4	67.1		97%	0%	$10,159
Ayersville Elementary School	Public	K-6	28046 Watson Rd	Defiance	43512	Defiance County	Ayersville Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 395-1111	322	22	14.3	—	278 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	91.7	38^th of 1560 public elementary schools	97.6%		88.1	91^st of 1558 public elementary schools	94.2%	53	97.8	90.3	92.0	100.0	80.7	90.3	94.0	97.8	80.7	88.7%	8.1%	$14,149
Tinora Elementary School	Public	K-6	5751 Domersville Rd	Defiance	43512	Defiance County	Northeastern Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 497-1022	355	18	19.7	30.4%	306 (86.2%)	3 (0.8%)	37 (10.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	77.2	374^th of 1560 public elementary schools	76.0%		79	338^th of 1558 public elementary schools	78.3%	36		73.1	94.8			74.6	74.1			81%	10.7%	$14,457
Oakwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	309 N 1st St	Oakwood	45873	Paulding County	Paulding Exempted Village	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 594-3346	291	20	14.5	56.0%	261 (89.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	89.7	71^st of 1560 public elementary schools	95.4%		87.2	109^th of 1558 public elementary schools	93.0%	38	100.0	87.5	97.0	87.5	88.9	100.0	87.9	78.1	81.5	82.4%	8.8%	$14,099
Continental Local Elementary School	Public	K-6	5211 State Route 634	Continental	45831	Putnam County	Continental Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 596-3860	295	21	14.3	38.3%	269 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	81.4	260^th of 1560 public elementary schools	83.3%		85.6	159^th of 1558 public elementary schools	89.8%	101	75.9	90.6	87.2	93.1	89.5	78.1	84.6	75.9	57.9			$12,524
Fairview Elementary School	Public	K-5	14060 Blosser Rd	Sherwood	43556	Defiance County	Central Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 658-2511	411	26	15.9	46.5%	372 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	79.8	302^nd of 1560 public elementary schools	80.6%		74	450^th of 1558 public elementary schools	71.1%	148	81.0	83.8	89.1	68.3		82.5	67.2	90.5		81.8%	12.5%	$12,770
Holgate Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 Joe E Brown Ave	Holgate	43527	Henry County	Holgate Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 264-5231	162	10	16.2	—	132 (81.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	71.7	501^st of 1560 public elementary schools	67.9%		65.3	618^th of 1558 public elementary schools	60.3%	117	76.9	85.2	75.0	76.0		81.5	57.1	73.1		84.6%	11.5%	$16,743
Napoleon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	725 Westmoreland Ave	Napoleon	43545	Henry County	Napoleon Area City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 599-1851	912	53	17.2	50.9%	748 (82.0%)	7 (0.8%)	124 (13.6%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.1%)	75.6	420^th of 1560 public elementary schools	73.1%		81.2	272^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	82.5%	148	61.8	67.3	90.5	64.5	79.3	90.9	76.7	78.2	70.5	89.3%	2.3%	$10,579
Paulding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	405 N Water St	Paulding	45879	Paulding County	Paulding Exempted Village	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 399-4656	442	25	17.6	47.7%	350 (79.2%)	2 (0.5%)	80 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	58.7	750^th of 1560 public elementary schools	51.9%		48.9	914^th of 1558 public elementary schools	41.3%	164	47.6	70.3	84.7	33.3		70.8	74.6	74.6		91.4%	1.4%	$12,088
Miller City Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 N Main St	Miller City	45864	Putnam County	Miller City-New Cleveland Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 876-3174	240	16	15.4	—	231 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	93.7	12^th of 1560 public elementary schools	99.2%		93.9	6^th of 1558 public elementary schools	99.6%	6	95.7	94.4	95.7	95.7		97.2	95.7	97.9		95.8%	2.1%	$13,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Defiance Elementary School

How many students attend Defiance Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,075 students attended Defiance Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Defiance Elementary School?

Students at Defiance Elementary School are 59% White, 28% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Is Defiance Elementary School a good school?

Defiance Elementary School ranks 789^th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Defiance Elementary School in?

Defiance City

What schools do graduates of Defiance Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Defiance Middle School
High : Defiance High School

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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.