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John C Dempsey Middle School

Q: Is John C Dempsey Middle School a good school?

John C Dempsey Middle School ranks 356 th of 1046 Ohio middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

356^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,046 Ohio Middle Schools

Better than 66% of Ohio middle schools

Summary

John C Dempsey Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6–8 in Delaware, Ohio, with 1,278 students — the largest school in its nearby comparison group — and is part of Delaware City Schools. Its 2025–26 state rank is 356th of 1,046 (66th percentile, 3 stars), slightly above the district's 61st percentile but below its own recent high of 72nd percentile in 2023–24. Earlier years placed the school in the 72nd–79th percentile with mostly 4-star ratings, so today's standing looks like a settling into the mid-upper range rather than a collapse.

Academically, Dempsey looks like two schools in one. Eighth-grade results are relatively strong: 8th-grade math is 78.6% proficient, above the state's 52.0% and ahead of several Olentangy schools such as Olentangy Orange Middle School (52.4%), Berkshire Middle School (73.9%), Hyatts Middle School (73.3%), and Olentangy Berlin Middle School (73.3%), as well as Buckeye Valley Local Middle School (72.5%). Eighth-grade science (77.5%) and ELA (69.0%) also beat state averages, and Algebra I and Geometry end-of-course exams both show 100% proficiency — a strong advanced-math pipeline. The lower grades are the worry: 6th-grade math is only 41.2%, 15 points below the state and far under nearby middle schools, which run roughly 75% to 88%. Sixth-grade ELA is near the state average but below nearby peers, and 7th-grade math and ELA trail every nearby school in the comparison set.

The biggest systemic concern is attendance. Chronic absenteeism is 21.0%, above the district's 18.4% and higher than every nearby school (from 5.9% at Olentangy Liberty Middle School to 14.5% at Buckeye Valley), after jumping from 10.1% in 2022–23. Dempsey also has the group's highest free/reduced lunch rate at 37.48%. Given that context, it still outperforms the state in several subjects and shows real subgroup strengths, including African American students at the 73rd percentile and gifted students at the 82nd. The clearest opportunities are early middle-grade math support and attendance intervention.

1,278

Students ?

17.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,645

Per pupil spending ?

37.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

599 Pennsylvania Ave
Delaware, OH 43015-1522

(740) 833-1800

District: Delaware City

Students who attend John C Dempsey Middle School usually attend:

High:

Rutherford B Hayes High School

Feeder schools for John C Dempsey Middle School:

Elementary:	David Smith Elementary School
	Ervin Carlisle Elementary School
	James Conger Elementary School
	Laura Woodward Elementary School
	More...
	Robert F Schultz Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.3%

Hispanic:

7.8%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated Ohio middle schools

Compare John C Dempsey Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (72% vs 56% meeting standards)

✓Above the Ohio median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg67%

Ohio avg56%

356^th of 1,046

Ohio public middle schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

299^th of 773Delaware 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	67.6	356 of 1046	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.7	332 of 1036	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.9	293 of 1046	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	336 of 1048	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.8	307 of 1017	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.2	391 of 1037	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.1	298 of 1050	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	226 of 1010	77.6%	★★★★☆
2017	77.5	215 of 1038	79.3%	★★★★☆
2016	73.0	280 of 1050	73.3%	★★★★☆
2015	48.7	615 of 1035	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	73.0	286 of 1008	71.6%	★★★★☆
2013	72.7	305 of 1001	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	73.7	276 of 989	72.1%	★★★★☆
2011	77.1	187 of 925	79.8%	★★★★☆
2010	70.0	331 of 895	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.8	270 of 858	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.6	441 of 835	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	62.9	387 of 837	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.9	471 of 732	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	59.8	318 of 692	54.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	66.1	125 of 455	72.5%	★★★★☆
2025	72.1	89 of 442	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	83 of 429	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	85 of 436	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	84.9	43 of 413	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	62 of 385	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	85.6	44 of 405	89.1%	★★★★☆
2018	88.6	30 of 384	92.2%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	47.0	242 of 565	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.6	357 of 576	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.4	252 of 658	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.1	237 of 643	63.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	50.1	78 of 172	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.0	48 of 142	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.5	91 of 123	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	89 of 113	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.6	60 of 110	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.6	100 of 127	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	67.7	324 of 947	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.2	311 of 938	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	263 of 942	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	68.9	298 of 943	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.4	324 of 925	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.2	425 of 910	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.6	261 of 917	71.5%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	199 of 897	77.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	34 of 186	81.7%	★★★★☆
2025	76.5	5 of 194	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	63.5	78 of 196	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.4	47 of 173	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	74 of 241	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.6	166 of 274	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.8	235 of 521	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	132 of 270	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.7	110 of 262	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	126 of 239	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.4	122 of 249	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	90 of 247	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	96 of 228	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.5	95 of 222	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.4	35 of 192	81.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	482 of 996	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.1	539 of 983	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	403 of 989	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.1	461 of 974	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.9	421 of 947	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.3	529 of 923	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.9	327 of 945	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.1	215 of 924	76.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	63.3	358 of 955	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.3	334 of 954	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.7	329 of 958	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.5	354 of 963	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.2	276 of 946	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	63.8	335 of 924	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.6	308 of 933	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.9	270 of 916	70.5%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	4.9	12 of 13	7.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	139 of 260	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.7	130 of 263	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	105 of 254	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.6	82 of 245	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	104 of 239	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.5	119 of 219	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.7	86 of 206	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.0	127 of 205	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	221 of 579	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.1	195 of 572	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	257 of 563	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	236 of 590	60.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	316 of 790	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	298 of 777	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.6	260 of 795	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	320 of 805	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	300 of 809	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	377 of 781	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	268 of 796	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.4	222 of 781	71.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)82nd percentile+16 vs school

African American (2026)73rd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

Male (2026)63rd percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)62nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)57th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)55th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)52nd percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)47th percentile-19 vs school

Military Connected (2022)8th percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+57 vs state

Algebra I100%+38 vs state

Science78%+16 vs state

English Language Arts64%+5 vs state

Mathematics60%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near John C Dempsey Middle 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 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)					Ohio State Tests Geometry (2026)	Ohio State Tests Algebra I (2026)	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 Science 8th 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 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 Geometry End of Course	Ohio State Tests Algebra I End of Course	Total
John C Dempsey Middle School	Public	6-8	599 Pennsylvania Ave	Delaware	43015	Delaware County	Delaware City	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 833-1800	1,278	71	17.9	37.5%	988 (77.3%)	84 (6.6%)	100 (7.8%)	11 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (7.3%)	67.6	356^th of 1046 public middle schools	66.0%		69.7	332^nd of 1036 public middle schools	68.0%	24		77.5			41.2	58.7	78.6			57.7	65.0	69.0	100.0	100.0	$12,645
Buckeye Valley Local Middle School	Public	5-8	683 Coover Rd	Delaware	43015	Delaware County	Buckeye Valley Local Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 363-6626	612	34	18.1	24.2%	557 (91.0%)	6 (1.0%)	25 (4.1%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	79.7	185^th of 1046 public middle schools	82.3%		75.3	259^th of 1036 public middle schools	75.0%	74	82.0	75.9		66.4	75.3	60.7	72.5		87.0	73.9	82.1	67.0		100.0	$12,792
Olentangy Berlin Middle School	Public	6-8	2500 Piatt Rd	Delaware	43015	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(740) 657-4050	886	44	20.0	11.6%	511 (57.7%)	57 (6.4%)	52 (5.9%)	214 (24.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.4%)	90.7	37^th of 1046 public middle schools	96.5%		91.1	39^th of 1036 public middle schools	96.2%	2		92.3			88.4	81.0	73.3			85.9	88.1	83.2		98.0	$14,025
Hyatts Middle School	Public	6-8	6885 Sawmill Parkway	Powell	43065	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 657-5400	835	48	17.3	9.9%	513 (61.4%)	29 (3.5%)	40 (4.8%)	211 (25.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.6%)	89.9	47^th of 1046 public middle schools	95.5%		90	51^st of 1036 public middle schools	95.1%	4		85.9			83.7	85.5	73.3			82.8	89.9	83.5	100.0	100.0	$15,546
Olentangy Shanahan Middle School	Public	6-8	814 Shanahan Rd	Lewis Center	43035	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 657-4300	1,029	49	20.9	13.9%	574 (55.8%)	75 (7.3%)	56 (5.4%)	256 (24.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (6.0%)	89.2	59^th of 1046 public middle schools	94.4%		91.8	33^rd of 1036 public middle schools	96.8%	26		86.1			78.3	85.0	71.3			82.2	88.7	87.1	100.0	98.3	$14,311
Olentangy Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	7940 Liberty Rd N	Powell	43065	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 657-4400	1,005	46	21.9	6.4%	757 (75.3%)	19 (1.9%)	37 (3.7%)	137 (13.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.3%)	94	11^th of 1046 public middle schools	98.9%		93.9	17^th of 1036 public middle schools	98.4%	6		95.1			85.1	89.3	89.9			89.0	92.0	91.1	100.0	100.0	$14,908
Berkshire Middle School	Public	6-8	2869 S. Three B's & K Road	Galena	43021	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 657-5200	883	51	17.2	11.0%	598 (67.7%)	57 (6.5%)	37 (4.2%)	126 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (7.4%)	89.7	51^st of 1046 public middle schools	95.1%		91.6	35^th of 1036 public middle schools	96.6%	16		89.1			82.9	83.0	73.9			79.4	91.0	81.8	100.0	100.0	$15,201
Eversole Run Middle School	Public	6-8	9015 Gardenia Dr	Plain City	43064	Madison County	Dublin City	No	(n/a)	No	No	(614) 764-5913	837	48	17.3	4.1%	476 (56.9%)	26 (3.1%)	26 (3.1%)	264 (31.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.1%)	89.9	49^th of 1046 public middle schools	95.3%		89.7	54^th of 1036 public middle schools	94.8%	5		87.9			81.9	72.0	85.1			84.6	88.1	83.2	100.0	97.8	$12,362
Olentangy Orange Middle School	Public	6-8	2680 E Orange Rd	Lewis Center	43035	Delaware County	Olentangy Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 657-5300	1,056	63	16.7	23.0%	549 (52.0%)	125 (11.8%)	94 (8.9%)	202 (19.1%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	78 (7.4%)	84.1	129^th of 1046 public middle schools	87.7%		83.6	133^rd of 1036 public middle schools	87.2%	4		80.8			80.1	83.3	52.4			81.0	88.8	79.9	100.0	98.6	$13,742
Big Walnut Intermediate School	Public	4-6	777 Cheshire Rd	Sunbury	43074	Delaware County	Big Walnut Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 965-7800	663	32	20.7	21.4%	578 (87.2%)	7 (1.1%)	41 (6.2%)	10 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.9%)								(n/a)	74.7		78.3	74.8				74.2	82.2						$11,412

Frequently Asked Questions about John C Dempsey Middle School

How many students attend John C Dempsey Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,278 students attended John C Dempsey Middle School.

Is John C Dempsey Middle School a good school?

John C Dempsey Middle School ranks 356^th of 1046 Ohio middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of John C Dempsey Middle School attend?

Students who attend John C Dempsey Middle School usually go on to attend Rutherford B Hayes High School

What is the racial makeup of John C Dempsey Middle School?

Students at John C Dempsey Middle School are 77% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% African American.

What district is John C Dempsey Middle School in?

Delaware City

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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.