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Payne Elementary School

Q: Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks 545 th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

545^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Payne Elementary School is a K–6 school in the small rural community of Payne, Ohio (Paulding County), serving 263 students as one of two elementary schools in the Wayne Trace Local district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 545th of 1,560 Ohio elementary schools — the 65th percentile, or 3 stars — below its own district's 74th percentile. That's a notable slide: the school sat in the 88th percentile just four years earlier, in 2021–2022, and has dropped 23 percentile points since.

Payne's test scores are comfortably above the state average but below its own district. Averaged across nine state tests, 70.8% of Payne students were proficient, versus 62.1% statewide and 74.2% across Wayne Trace. The most striking comparison is with Grover Hill Elementary School, the district's other elementary 13.8 miles away, which shares the same curriculum and central office yet outperforms Payne in 7 of 9 tested areas (79.0% average vs. 70.8%) and ranks in the 80th percentile. Payne's clearest soft spots are fifth-grade math (50%, below the state) and sixth-grade ELA (54.5%, down from 88% in 2022–23). Its strengths are fifth-grade science, above state level every year, and strong third- and fourth-grade reading and math.

Two other numbers matter for families. Chronic absenteeism improved to 11.0% from 13.5%, but 2025–2026 is the first year Payne's rate exceeds its district's (9.9%), and it is nearly double Grover Hill's 6.3%. Poverty is also rising fast: free/reduced lunch climbed from 47% to 62% in two years, among the highest locally. Payne spends $11,644 per student, more than most nearby schools, though that figure dates to 2018–19. Overall, Payne is a solid school with real strengths in the early grades and in science, but one that has drifted downward and now trails its closest peers — Lincolnview Elementary School is roughly even, while Oakwood Elementary School and Grover Hill rank higher.

263

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,072

Per pupil spending ?

62.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

501 W Townline St
Payne, OH 45880-9361

(419) 263-2512

District: Wayne Trace Local

Students who attend Payne Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Wayne Trace High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.6%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Two or more races:

2.7%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (71% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Above the Ohio median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg74%

Ohio avg62%

545^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Wayne Trace Local

204^th of 773Wayne Trace 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	69.7	545 of 1560	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.6	503 of 1558	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.1	455 of 1577	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	357 of 1596	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.2	197 of 1588	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	309 of 1610	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	69.9	587 of 1676	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.6	397 of 1636	75.7%	★★★★☆
2017	82.6	206 of 1651	87.5%	★★★★☆
2016	81.5	258 of 1678	84.6%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	433 of 1684	74.3%	★★★★☆
2014	64.2	802 of 1687	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.7	622 of 1701	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.5	725 of 1709	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.5	785 of 1686	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.7	682 of 1662	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.0	719 of 1610	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.4	786 of 1582	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.2	726 of 1609	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	79.1	222 of 1504	85.2%	★★★★☆
2005	58.9	708 of 1501	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	37.4	1069 of 1471	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2021	52.4	293 of 765	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	444 of 1452	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.7	345 of 1452	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.3	191 of 1466	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	292 of 1483	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.8	223 of 1488	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	78.0	314 of 1467	78.6%	★★★★☆
2019	64.9	632 of 1502	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.7	196 of 1518	87.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	528 of 1467	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.2	670 of 1473	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.5	339 of 1484	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	411 of 1447	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	72.4	343 of 1465	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	84.9	100 of 1465	93.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	635 of 1467	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.0	609 of 1466	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	733 of 1485	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.4	360 of 1498	76.0%	★★★★☆
2022	79.7	294 of 1518	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	78.8	317 of 1499	78.9%	★★★★☆
2019	84.1	175 of 1535	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	422 of 1536	72.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	59.3	554 of 1181	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.2	562 of 1175	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	477 of 1190	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.6	414 of 1215	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.3	279 of 1242	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	74.6	317 of 1249	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	61.5	578 of 1271	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.4	460 of 1309	64.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2026)69th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile~ school

Disabled (2021)62nd percentile-19 vs school

Male (2026)57th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts71%+8 vs state

Science71%+8 vs state

Mathematics70%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Payne 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 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)				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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 6th 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	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 6th Grade	Total
Payne Elementary School	Public	K-6	501 W Townline St	Payne	45880	Paulding County	Wayne Trace Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 263-2512	263	19	13.8	62.0%	241 (91.6%)	3 (1.1%)	12 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	69.7	545^th of 1560 public elementary schools	65.1%		71.6	503^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	67.7%	42	70.6	80.6	81.1	50.0	69.7	80.6	75.7	74.3	54.5	$14,072
Antwerp Local Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	303 S. Harrmann Rd	Antwerp	45813	Paulding County	Antwerp Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 258-5421	345	26	13.5	—	315 (91.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.8%)	76.5	393^rd of 1560 public elementary schools	74.8%		77.5	375^th of 1558 public elementary schools	75.9%	18	58.7	74.4	89.7	84.8		79.1	76.9	82.6		$13,420
Paulding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	405 N Water St	Paulding	45879	Paulding County	Paulding Exempted Village	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 399-4656	442	25	17.6	47.7%	350 (79.2%)	2 (0.5%)	80 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	58.7	750^th of 1560 public elementary schools	51.9%		48.9	914^th of 1558 public elementary schools	41.3%	164	47.6	70.3	84.7	33.3		70.8	74.6	74.6		$12,088
Crestview Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	510 E Tully St	Convoy	45832	Van Wert County	Crestview Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 749-9100	158	8	19.7	—	146 (92.4%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)								(n/a)										$8,505
Crestview Elementary School	Public	1-5	531 E Tully St	Convoy	45832	Van Wert County	Crestview Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 749-9100	337	34	10.0	—	318 (94.4%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	81.7	248^th of 1560 public elementary schools	84.1%		88.1	92^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	94.1%	156	91.0	76.9	93.4	74.6		81.5	77.0	80.9		$13,278
Grover Hill Elementary School	Public	K-6	101 Monroe Street	Grover Hill	45849	Paulding County	Wayne Trace Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 587-3414	217	16	13.5	61.8%	202 (93.1%)	4 (1.8%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	79.7	306^th of 1560 public elementary schools	80.4%		78	366^th of 1558 public elementary schools	76.5%	60	75.7	88.0	91.3	70.3	87.5	72.0	73.9	81.1	70.8	$18,419
Hicksville Elementary School	Public	K-4	958 E High St	Hicksville	43526	Defiance County	Hicksville Exempted Village School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 542-7475	375	29	12.9	—	323 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	91.5	45^th of 1560 public elementary schools	97.1%		86.1	143^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	90.8%	98		95.4	100.0			95.4	81.4			$12,840
Van Wert Elementary School	Public	1-5	10992 State Route 118	Van Wert	45891	Van Wert County	Van Wert City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 238-1761	692	44	15.6	56.4%	601 (86.8%)	14 (2.0%)	53 (7.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	17 (2.5%)	51.3	869^th of 1560 public elementary schools	44.3%		57.9	762^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	51.1%	107	64.7	49.7	72.9	57.9		55.7	63.6	66.2		$10,653
Van Wert Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1120 Buckeye Dr	Van Wert	45891	Van Wert County	Van Wert City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 238-0384	343	16	21.4	53.1%	318 (92.7%)	4 (1.2%)	15 (4.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)										$9,338
Oakwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	309 N 1st St	Oakwood	45873	Paulding County	Paulding Exempted Village	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 594-3346	291	20	14.5	56.0%	261 (89.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	89.7	71^st of 1560 public elementary schools	95.4%		87.2	109^th of 1558 public elementary schools	93.0%	38	100.0	87.5	97.0	87.5	88.9	100.0	87.9	78.1	81.5	$14,099

Frequently Asked Questions about Payne Elementary School

How many students attend Payne Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 263 students attended Payne Elementary School.

Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks 545^th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Payne Elementary School attend?

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

High : Wayne Trace High School

What district is Payne Elementary School in?

Wayne Trace Local

What is the racial makeup of Payne Elementary School?

Students at Payne Elementary School are 92% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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Latest Ohio data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 15, 2026

2025–26 Ohio State Tests scoresSep 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

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.