Mississinawa Valley Elementary School

Mississinawa Valley Elementary School is a K–6 school in Union City, Ohio, serving 307 students as the elementary campus of the Mississinawa Valley Local district, in a rural part of western Ohio where several neighboring districts rank among the strongest in the state.

The school's results show a clear step change rather than a gradual climb. From 2015–16 through 2020–21 it sat in the 45th–49th percentile of Ohio elementaries (2 stars); since 2021–22 it has held between the 63rd and 72nd percentile (3–4 stars), ranking 529th of 1,560 elementaries in 2025–26. It beat the state in eight of nine tested subjects that year, with sixth grade the standout (76.1% ELA and 75.6% math, both more than 19 points above the state). Yet it trails eight of the ten nearby comparison schools — several of which serve far wealthier communities — and the two schools closest to it in poverty level, Ansonia Elementary School and Tri-Village Elementary School, both outscore it by 13–14 points.

What sets this school apart is the population it serves and how it performs against similar schools. Nearly every student — 99.05% — qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and class sizes are the smallest in the comparison group at 10.5 students per teacher, achieved without unusually high per-pupil spending. Judged against other schools serving low-income students, Mississinawa Valley ranks in the 88th percentile (4 stars), roughly 22 points higher than its overall standing. Chronic absenteeism (14.1%) is high in absolute terms but below its own district's rate. Two areas to watch: fifth-grade science fell to 50% against a 62.7% state figure — the only subject below state — and the special education subgroup ranks in the 33rd percentile.