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Hills Elementary School

Q: Is Hills Elementary School a good school?

Hills Elementary School ranks 250 th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

250^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 84% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Hills Elementary School in Mingo Junction, Ohio — a small Ohio River community in Jefferson County — serves 377 students in grades PK–4 as part of the Indian Creek Local district. Statewide, Hills ranked 250th of 1,560 Ohio schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 84th percentile with 4 stars; that is the school's best recent position in the data and a much stronger showing than its district, which ranks 345th of 773 districts (55th percentile, 3 stars). The contrast is striking inside the district itself: Hills ranks well above Cross Creek Elementary, the district's other elementary in the data, which ranks 1054th of 1,560 with 2 stars.

Test results back up the ranking. In 2025–2026, Hills outperformed both its district and Ohio in all four tested areas: 84.1% proficiency in Grade 3 math, 93.9% in Grade 4 math, 70.3% in Grade 3 ELA, and 84.8% in Grade 4 ELA. Grade 4 math has been at or above 90% for four consecutive years (90.5%, 98.5%, 95.0%, and 93.9%), and Grade 4 ELA has gained 28.3 percentage points since 2022–2023. Compared with Cross Creek in 2025–2026, Hills led 84.1% to 64.1% in Grade 3 math, 93.9% to 39.4% in Grade 4 math, 70.3% to 51.6% in Grade 3 ELA, and 84.8% to 57.6% in Grade 4 ELA.

The school is especially effective for high-need students, ranking in the 97th percentile for both low-income and special education students — higher than its overall 84th percentile. That matters at a school where 72.51% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2023–2024. Chronic absenteeism is the clearest concern: 35.3% in 2025–2026, slightly better than the district's 36.0% but well above most nearby schools, such as Buckeye North Elementary School (36.7%) and Stanton Elementary School (13.0%). For context, Wells Academy and McKinley STEM Academy in Steubenville City rank 1st and 8th statewide with very low absenteeism — a different tier, but a useful picture of the region's top end.

377

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,988

Per pupil spending ?

61.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

93.2%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 3.4% (any vaccine)

2281 Wilson Ave
Mingo Junction, OH 43938-2507

(740) 283-2479

District: Indian Creek Local

Students who attend Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Indian Creek Middle School Grades 5 & 6
	Indian Creek Middle School Grades 7 & 8
High:	Indian Creek High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.6%

Two or more races:

6.9%

African American:

5.3%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 84th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (83% vs 64% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 16% of Ohio elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg68%

Ohio avg64%

250^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Indian Creek Local

345^th of 773Indian Creek Local 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	81.7	250 of 1560	84.0%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	404 of 1558	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	81.6	281 of 1577	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.8	398 of 1596	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	77.3	385 of 1588	75.8%	★★★★☆
2021	62.6	716 of 1610	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.3	324 of 1676	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	514 of 1636	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.6	685 of 1651	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	75.2	445 of 1678	73.5%	★★★★☆
2015	66.3	668 of 1684	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.2	505 of 1687	70.1%	★★★★☆
2013	64.2	794 of 1701	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	80.9	166 of 1709	90.3%	★★★★★
2011	72.8	483 of 1686	71.4%	★★★★☆
2010	79.3	245 of 1662	85.3%	★★★★☆
2009	71.1	492 of 1610	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.8	574 of 1582	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.9	585 of 1609	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	75.6	325 of 1504	78.4%	★★★★☆
2005	73.2	370 of 1501	75.3%	★★★★☆
2004	75.8	321 of 1471	78.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	398 of 1452	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	67.8	514 of 1452	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.9	545 of 1466	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.2	465 of 1483	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.6	370 of 1488	75.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.9	540 of 1467	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.3	216 of 1502	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	67.9	565 of 1518	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	90.7	44 of 1467	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	97 of 1473	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	82.4	157 of 1484	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	186 of 1447	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	224 of 1419	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.4	407 of 1404	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	86.4	83 of 1465	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	68.2	451 of 1465	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	86.0	124 of 1467	91.5%	★★★★★
2025	78.6	306 of 1466	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.2	131 of 1485	91.2%	★★★★★
2023	75.7	386 of 1498	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	417 of 1518	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	53.5	772 of 1499	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	79.3	307 of 1535	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	255 of 1536	83.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	92.5	31 of 914	96.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	76.5	254 of 1181	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	63.6	491 of 1175	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.5	332 of 1190	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	365 of 1215	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	68.3	418 of 1242	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	678 of 1249	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	78.6	226 of 1271	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	437 of 1309	66.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)97th percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)97th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)92nd percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)78th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)73rd percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics89%+24 vs state

English Language Arts78%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hills 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	Directly certified (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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 5th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2281 Wilson Ave	Mingo Junction	43938	Jefferson County	Indian Creek Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 283-2479	377	22	17.1	61.3%	319 (84.6%)	20 (5.3%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.9%)	81.7	250^th of 1560 public elementary schools	84.0%		76.4	404^th of 1558 public elementary schools	74.1%	154		84.1	93.9		70.3	84.8		93.2%	3.4%	$9,988
McKinley STEM Academy	Public	PK, KG-4	1400 Adams St	Steubenville	43952	Jefferson County	Steubenville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 283-3767	175	10	17.5	53.1%	69 (39.4%)	66 (37.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (21.7%)	94.4	8^th of 1560 public elementary schools	99.5%		94.6	4^th of 1558 public elementary schools	99.7%	4		100.0	100.0		100.0	90.0		80%	12%	$9,789
Wells Academy	Public	PK, KG-4	420 N 4th St	Steubenville	43952	Jefferson County	Steubenville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 282-1651	336	18	18.6	36.3%	239 (71.1%)	44 (13.1%)	8 (2.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (12.8%)	95.5	1^st of 1560 public elementary schools	99.9%		95.4	1^st of 1558 public elementary schools	99.9%			100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0			$9,366
East Garfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	936 N 5th St	Steubenville	43952	Jefferson County	Steubenville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 282-5112	382	24	16.2	91.1%	156 (40.8%)	141 (36.9%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (19.6%)	89.3	75^th of 1560 public elementary schools	95.2%		80.2	302^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	80.6%	227		78.4	90.7		100.0	96.4		80.3%	6.1%	$6,711
Pugliese Elementary West	Public	PK, KG-4	435 John Scott Hwy Connector	Steubenville	43952	Jefferson County	Steubenville City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 264-1590	449	23	19.9	42.8%	338 (75.3%)	43 (9.6%)	13 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	51 (11.4%)	93	22^nd of 1560 public elementary schools	98.6%		92.5	19^th of 1558 public elementary schools	98.8%	3		85.9	98.6		98.4	95.2	100.0	92.1%	3.4%	$8,654
Buckeye North Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1004 3rd St	Brilliant	43913	Jefferson County	Buckeye Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 598-4589	235	17	13.8	74.5%	209 (88.9%)	9 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	14 (6.0%)	78.3	343^rd of 1560 public elementary schools	78.0%		66.3	601^st of 1558 public elementary schools	61.4%	258	82.1	79.4	90.9	60.7	85.3	90.9	71.4	96.2%	3.8%	$13,436
Cross Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	587 Bantam Ridge Rd	Wintersville	43953	Jefferson County	Indian Creek Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 264-1691	496	29	16.8	57.5%	424 (85.5%)	24 (4.8%)	17 (3.4%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.4%)	37.8	1054^th of 1560 public elementary schools	32.4%		35.5	1063^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	31.8%	9		64.1	39.4		51.6	57.6		97.1%	2.9%	$9,557
Toronto Elementary School	Public	K-5	1309 Dennis Way	Toronto	43964	Jefferson County	Toronto City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 537-2172	374	22	17.0	69.5%	324 (86.6%)	8 (2.1%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.6%)	58.7	749^th of 1560 public elementary schools	52.0%		56	802^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	48.5%	53	59.4	75.5	56.9	52.2	79.2	56.9	78.3	90.2%	6.6%	$9,732
Buckeye South Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Walden Ave	Tiltonsville	43963	Jefferson County	Buckeye Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 859-2800	282	20	14.4	71.6%	263 (93.3%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.3%)	37.5	1056^th of 1560 public elementary schools	32.3%		46.2	953^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	38.8%	103	43.2	42.1	47.7	43.2	60.5	68.2	61.4	92.3%	3.8%	$12,118
Buckeye West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	243 N Mill St	Adena	43901	Jefferson County	Buckeye Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 546-3413	172	11	16.1	64.0%	170 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	48.6	906^th of 1560 public elementary schools	41.9%		48.1	926^th of 1558 public elementary schools	40.6%	20	38.5	68.0	45.0	69.2	80.0	45.0	69.2	94.4%	0%	$15,162

Frequently Asked Questions about Hills Elementary School

How many students attend Hills Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 377 students attended Hills Elementary School.

Is Hills Elementary School a good school?

Hills Elementary School ranks 250^th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Hills Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Indian Creek Middle School Grades 5 & 6
Middle : Indian Creek Middle School Grades 7 & 8
High : Indian Creek High School

What is the racial makeup of Hills Elementary School?

Students at Hills Elementary School are 85% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Hills Elementary School in?

Indian Creek Local

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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.