Big Walnut Intermediate School

Big Walnut Intermediate School is a middle school in Sunbury, Ohio, serving 663 students in grades 4–6 as part of the Big Walnut Local district. About 21.42% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, up from 13.89% in 2022–2023, and the student/teacher ratio was 20.7 in 2024–2025. Academically, the school performs well above Ohio averages in every reported 2025–2026 tested area: 5th-grade math proficiency was 74.8% versus 59.1% statewide, and 5th-grade ELA was 82.2% versus 70.4%. Its rates are nearly identical to district-wide results, suggesting the school is closely aligned with—or a major contributor to—the district's performance.

Compared with nearby schools, Big Walnut Intermediate School sits in a strong middle tier. It generally outperforms the Westerville City middle schools—Walnut Springs Middle School, Blendon Middle School, Heritage Middle School, and Genoa Middle School—as well as Centerburg Middle School, which serve higher-poverty populations and post lower proficiency in several areas. It trails the top Olentangy Local schools—Olentangy Berlin Middle School, Berkshire Middle School, and Olentangy Shanahan Middle School—which post higher proficiency. Within its own district, Big Walnut Middle School has a smaller student/teacher ratio (16.8 vs. 20.7), while Big Walnut Intermediate has lower chronic absenteeism (8.1% vs. 11.6%).

Attendance is a clear strength: chronic absenteeism fell from 11.1% in 2021–2022 to 8.1% in 2025–2026, well below the district's 12.1% and below most nearby middle schools. Notably, proficiency stayed high even as free/reduced lunch rose, with 5th-grade math improving from 63.7% to 74.8%. One caveat: the reported per-student spending figure of $9,635 comes from 2018–2019 and may not reflect current funding.