Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Watson Elementary School

Q: Is Watson Elementary School a good school?

Watson Elementary School ranks 249 th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

249^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 84% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Watson Elementary School is a K–4 school at 420 Austin Ave NW in Massillon, Ohio, part of the Perry Local district, serving 515 students — the largest student body among all the nearby schools compared here. For 2025–26 it ranks 249th of 1,560 Ohio elementary schools, which is the 84th percentile with 4 stars and puts it in roughly the top 16% of elementary schools statewide. Watson has been a consistent 4-star school for a decade; after a dip to the 69th percentile in 2022–23, it has climbed back over two years and now sits at its strongest standing since 2020–21.

On the 2025–26 Ohio State Tests, Watson scored above the statewide average in all four tested measures — 3rd- and 4th-grade math and English language arts — by 15.7 to 20.2 points, and it matched or beat its own district average in three of the four. Fourth grade is the standout: 87.5% proficient in math and 81.6% in reading, the second-best results among the 11 schools compared. Just as notable, chronic absenteeism is 8.2%, less than half the Perry Local district rate of 18.5% and roughly half the rate at Southway Elementary School (16.0%), a same-district school about 1.45 miles away. Watson's low-income students rank in the 93rd percentile with 5 stars — above the school's own overall standing — meaning they outperform low-income peers at 93% of Ohio schools.

The clearest relative weakness is 3rd grade, where Lohr Elementary School leads within the district and Watson's 3rd-grade results are the only measures where it does not exceed the district. On the plus side, the same students show real math growth from 3rd to 4th grade across recent cohorts (gains of 11.0, 6.0 and 2.2 points). Watson also spends less per student — $8,334 in 2018–19, a directional figure that predates the current period — than any other traditional public school in the comparison set, while running the lowest student-to-teacher ratio in its district (15.2). Nearby, Harter Elementary School posts 3rd-grade math of 30.9%, and Beacon Academy ranks in the 3rd percentile with 52.1% chronic absenteeism.

515

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,959

Per pupil spending ?

49.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

420 Austin Ave NW
Massillon, OH 44646-3005

(330) 832-8100

District: Perry Local

Students who attend Watson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Edison Middle School
	Pfeiffer Intermediate School
High:	Perry High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.9%

Two or more races:

9.9%

African American:

4.3%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Watson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 76th percentile in 2016 → 84th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (82% vs 64% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 16% of Ohio elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg80%

Ohio avg64%

249^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Perry Local

121^st of 773Perry 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	249 of 1560	84.0%	★★★★☆
2025	80.4	299 of 1558	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.6	443 of 1577	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	72.5	498 of 1596	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.0	411 of 1588	74.1%	★★★★☆
2021	85.3	216 of 1610	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.6	314 of 1676	81.3%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	285 of 1636	82.6%	★★★★☆
2017	79.8	291 of 1651	82.4%	★★★★☆
2016	76.8	403 of 1678	76.0%	★★★★☆
2015	82.0	219 of 1684	87.0%	★★★★☆
2014	77.8	309 of 1687	81.7%	★★★★☆
2013	80.7	189 of 1701	88.9%	★★★★☆
2012	86.2	30 of 1709	98.2%	★★★★★
2011	83.8	88 of 1686	94.8%	★★★★★
2010	87.6	29 of 1662	98.3%	★★★★★
2009	84.6	64 of 1610	96.0%	★★★★★
2008	80.0	216 of 1582	86.3%	★★★★☆
2007	78.6	238 of 1609	85.2%	★★★★☆
2006	81.9	143 of 1504	90.5%	★★★★★
2005	79.6	220 of 1501	85.3%	★★★★☆
2004	68.9	484 of 1471	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	83.2	174 of 1452	88.0%	★★★★☆
2025	83.7	175 of 1452	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	79.6	274 of 1466	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	618 of 1483	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.0	363 of 1488	75.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	302 of 1467	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.0	162 of 1502	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	84.2	138 of 1518	90.9%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2018	42.4	640 of 759	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	86.4	106 of 1467	92.8%	★★★★★
2025	74.3	337 of 1473	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	65.5	507 of 1484	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.9	211 of 1447	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	281 of 1419	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	82.1	164 of 1404	88.3%	★★★★☆
2019	85.9	88 of 1465	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	72.5	351 of 1465	76.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	81.5	221 of 1467	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	76.5	360 of 1466	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	557 of 1485	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	80.6	277 of 1498	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	426 of 1518	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	87.9	125 of 1499	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	80.1	276 of 1535	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.6	426 of 1536	72.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	198 of 914	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	30.9	658 of 935	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	76.8	250 of 1181	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	73.7	324 of 1175	72.4%	★★★★☆
2024	62.3	494 of 1190	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.8	515 of 1215	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	516 of 1242	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.2	273 of 1249	78.1%	★★★★☆
2019	72.2	351 of 1271	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	350 of 1309	73.3%	★★★★☆

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)93rd percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)88th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)85th percentile~ school

White (2026)79th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)78th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2018)16th percentile-67 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics83%+19 vs state

English Language Arts80%+18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Watson Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Watson Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Watson Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Science 8th 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 Mathematics 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 8th 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	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 8th Grade	Total
Watson Elementary School	Public	K-4	420 Austin Ave NW	Massillon	44646	Stark County	Perry Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 832-8100	515	34	15.2	49.3%	427 (82.9%)	22 (4.3%)	11 (2.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (9.9%)	81.7	249^th of 1560 public elementary schools	84.0%		80.4	299^th of 1558 public elementary schools	80.8%	50			79.3	87.5					79.1	81.6					$11,959
Southway Elementary School	Public	K-4	4110 Southway St SW	Massillon	44646	Stark County	Perry Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 409-8600	474	29	16.2	61.8%	386 (81.4%)	18 (3.8%)	23 (4.9%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.9%)	70.7	520^th of 1560 public elementary schools	66.7%		61.7	703^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	54.9%	183			69.6	77.9					76.3	70.5					$5,203
Massillon East Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	400 George Red Bird Dr SE	Massillon	44646	Stark County	Massillon City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 830-3907	480	30	16.0	—	192 (40.0%)	118 (24.6%)	100 (20.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (13.8%)								(n/a)			66.0						72.8						$10,930
Harter Elementary School	Public	K-3	317 Raff Rd NW	Canton	44708	Stark County	Canton City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 456-1001	414	24	17.2	—	157 (37.9%)	121 (29.2%)	54 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (1.0%)	75 (18.1%)								(n/a)			30.9						32.1						$14,045
Amherst Elementary School	Public	K-5	8750 Jane St NW	Massillon	44646	Stark County	Jackson Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 830-8024	462	27	17.1	49.6%	349 (75.5%)	27 (5.8%)	33 (7.1%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.3%)	78	352^nd of 1560 public elementary schools	77.4%		74.8	439^th of 1558 public elementary schools	71.8%	87	81.1		77.9	75.5	78.4				75.3	77.8	83.8				$11,689
Cedar Elementary School	Public	K-3	2823 9th St SW	Canton	44710	Stark County	Canton City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 580-3502	364	20	18.2	—	170 (46.7%)	93 (25.5%)	29 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (19.8%)								(n/a)			60.0						54.3						$15,028
Avondale Elementary School	Public	K-4	3933 Eaton Rd NW	Canton	44708	Stark County	Plain Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 491-3720	257	13	19.8	51.4%	175 (68.1%)	27 (10.5%)	5 (1.9%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (17.5%)	79.3	318^th of 1560 public elementary schools	79.6%		76.2	410^th of 1558 public elementary schools	73.7%	92			74.0	90.2					78.0	78.4					$11,634
Lohr Elementary School	Public	K-4	5300 Richville Dr SW	Navarre	44662	Stark County	Perry Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(330) 484-3924	445	27	16.3	42.5%	388 (87.2%)	14 (3.1%)	14 (3.1%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.4%)	83.8	195^th of 1560 public elementary schools	87.5%		75.2	425^th of 1558 public elementary schools	72.7%	230			89.5	79.8					88.5	78.5					$12,813
Massillon West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	282 29th St NW	Massillon	44647	Stark County	Massillon City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 830-3905	338	22	15.3	—	257 (76.0%)	21 (6.2%)	16 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (12.7%)								(n/a)			61.0						66.2						$11,774
Beacon Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1379 Garfield Ave SW Ste A	Canton	44706	Stark County	Beacon Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 941-5852	200	18	11.4	—	57 (28.5%)	94 (47.0%)	15 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (17.0%)	4.3	1511^th of 1560 public elementary schools	3.1%		32.6	1097^th of 1558 public elementary schools	29.6%	414	11.1	12.5	10.5	16.7	11.1	17.6	10.0	18.8	30.0	12.5	16.7	17.6	13.3	31.3	$12,086

Frequently Asked Questions about Watson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Watson Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Edison Middle School
Middle : Pfeiffer Intermediate School
High : Perry High School

Is Watson Elementary School a good school?

Watson Elementary School ranks 249^th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Watson Elementary School?

Students at Watson Elementary School are 83% White, 10% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Watson Elementary School in?

Perry Local

How many students attend Watson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 515 students attended Watson Elementary School.

Rate Watson Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

OHOhio Elementary School Rankings

OHOhio District Rankings

Schools in Massillon, OH

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Watson Elementary School!

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.