Sandy Valley High School

Sandy Valley High School is a public high school located in Magnolia, Ohio, serving 440 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Sandy Valley Local District. The school has seen fluctuating performance over the past decade, with its statewide ranking ranging from 390 to 611 out of Ohio high schools and its SchoolDigger rating varying from 1 to 3 stars.

While Sandy Valley High School performs relatively well for its Gifted and Talented students, ranking in the top 30% of Ohio high schools in this category, it struggles with its Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status student groups, ranking in the bottom 50%. The school has seen a significant improvement in its four-year graduation rate, increasing from 92.3% in 2023-2024 to 100% in 2024-2025, but its chronic absenteeism rate remains a concern, ranging from 17.7% to 30.4% over the past few years. Academically, the school performs above the state average in several subject areas, including American Government, American History, and English II, but it struggles in mathematics, particularly in Algebra I, where it consistently scores below the state average.

Comparing Sandy Valley High School to nearby schools, Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School, located just 3.91 miles away, consistently outperforms it across various metrics, including statewide ranking, graduation rates, and test scores. In contrast, Choices Alternative School, located 11.32 miles away, struggles significantly, ranking in the bottom 10% of Ohio high schools and performing well below the state average in most subject areas. The high percentage of free and reduced-lunch recipients at Sandy Valley High School, ranging from 71.43% to 77.95% over the past few years, likely contributes to the school's challenges in certain areas, though its spending per student of $9,771 is on par with the nearby schools.