Wildcat Pathways Academy

Wildcat Pathways Academy is a public high school in Harrison, Ohio, serving grades 9–12 with just 66 students as part of the Southwest Local district, located only 0.07 miles from William Henry Harrison High School, the district's much larger comprehensive high school. In 2025–2026, Wildcat Pathways ranked 739th of 795 Ohio high schools — the 7th percentile, 0 stars — a sharp contrast with Southwest Local, which ranked 295th of 773 districts (62nd percentile, 3 stars).

The most urgent concerns are attendance and graduation. Wildcat Pathways reports a 74.4% chronic absenteeism rate — the highest in the comparison set, nearly four times the district rate (18.8%) and about three times the rate at William Henry Harrison High School (24.7%). Even Mt Healthy High School, another high-absenteeism school, sits 7.5 points lower at 66.9%. The school's 67.6% graduation rate is the lowest among nearby schools with data, 24.8 points below its district and 27.8 points below William Henry Harrison High School. These gaps are not part of a district-wide pattern, since district attendance and graduation trends remain relatively strong.

Academics show a concentrated weakness in math: Algebra I at 0% proficient and Geometry at 6.3% — the lowest reported among nearby schools with data. Other subjects are also below district and state levels: American History 33.3%, English II 42.1%, and American Government 45.5%, though in those subjects the school does outperform Transitions Academy. Subgroup results reinforce the picture, with female students ranking 703rd of 763 and low socio-economic status students 722nd of 761 — both 0 stars. Data on poverty, staffing, and per-student spending are not available, and with only 66 students, percentages can swing from year to year; still, the consistency of low results across many measures suggests real challenges rather than random variation.