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Clay Middle School

Q: Is Clay Middle School a good school?

Clay Middle School ranks 601 st of 1046 Ohio middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

601^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,046 Ohio Middle Schools

Better than 43% of Ohio middle schools

Summary

Clay Middle School is a small public school in the Portsmouth, Ohio area serving 134 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Clay Local district, where a high share of students — about 60% — qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. In 2025–2026, the school ranked 601 out of 1,046 Ohio middle schools, placing it in the 43rd percentile with 2 stars, the same percentile as its district. Local comparisons put Clay in the middle of the pack: it ranked ahead of Northwest Middle School, Eastern Middle School, and Portsmouth West Middle School, but behind Wheelersburg Middle School, Valley Middle School, and Minford Middle School.

Academically, results are uneven. The clearest strength is 7th-grade English language arts, where Clay scored 68.3% — above the state's 62.7% and above most nearby middle schools — and 8th-grade ELA is now roughly at state level. The clearest concern is 6th grade: ELA proficiency was 30.2%, about 26 points below the state and far below every nearby comparison, while Math 6 fell to 39.5% against a state figure of 56.2%. Eighth-grade science dropped to 56.1%, below the state and every nearby middle school this year, after a stronger 71.1% the year before.

Attendance is a relative bright spot. Chronic absenteeism improved from 24.7% to 20.1%, better than the district and better than Eastern, Northwest, and Oak Intermediate Elementary School, though still above Wheelersburg's 12.5%. The school also ranked higher for its low-income students (54th percentile, 3 stars) than overall, suggesting it serves that group comparatively well. With only 134 students, though, year-to-year swings can be sharp — and the drop from 2024–2025's 60th percentile, 3-star result suggests recent gains have not yet held steady.

134

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,505

Per pupil spending ?

60.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

44 Clay High St
Portsmouth, OH 45662-8817

(740) 354-6644

District: Clay Local

Students who attend Clay Middle School usually attend:

High:

Clay High School

Feeder schools for Clay Middle School:

Elementary:

Clay Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.3%

Two or more races:

6.0%

Hispanic:

3.0%

See top rated Ohio middle schools

Compare Clay Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 46th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Ohio average (50% vs 56% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg50%

Ohio avg56%

601^st of 1,046

Ohio public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

438^th of 773Clay 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	47.2	601 of 1046	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.7	413 of 1036	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.3	538 of 1046	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	631 of 1048	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.9	583 of 1017	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.5	699 of 1037	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.1	753 of 1050	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	738 of 1010	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	41.5	665 of 1038	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.9	563 of 1050	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	66.0	383 of 1035	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	53.4	626 of 1008	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.8	657 of 1001	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.8	685 of 989	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	59.3	202 of 400	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	563 of 947	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.8	372 of 938	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.9	458 of 942	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.7	573 of 943	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.5	544 of 925	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.1	668 of 910	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	702 of 917	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	716 of 897	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	459 of 996	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.7	245 of 983	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	51.7	499 of 989	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.4	563 of 974	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.6	513 of 947	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.1	654 of 923	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.9	663 of 945	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.8	670 of 924	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	601 of 955	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.0	464 of 954	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.1	590 of 958	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	625 of 963	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	498 of 946	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	655 of 924	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.8	738 of 933	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.7	699 of 916	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	28.5	608 of 790	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.1	492 of 777	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	558 of 795	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.6	638 of 805	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.1	602 of 809	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.4	697 of 781	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	728 of 796	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	718 of 781	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)54th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)41st percentile~ school

Male (2026)37th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Science56%-5 vs state

English Language Arts52%-7 vs state

Mathematics45%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Clay Middle 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)					Ohio State Tests Algebra I (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	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 Science 8th 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 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	Ohio State Tests Algebra I End of Course	Total
Clay Middle School	Public	6-8	44 Clay High St	Portsmouth	45662	Scioto County	Clay Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 354-6644	134	10	13.4	—	121 (90.3%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.0%)	47.2	601^st of 1046 public middle schools	42.5%		63.7	413^th of 1036 public middle schools	60.1%	188		56.1			39.5	46.3	50.0			30.2	68.3	58.5		$8,505
Oak Intermediate Elementary School	Public	4-6	#1 Glenwood Tiger Trail	New Boston	45662	Scioto County	New Boston Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 456-5225	87	6	14.5	52.9%	79 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.9%)								(n/a)	66.7		43.3	42.9	26.5			40.0	61.9	20.6				$13,544
Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	393 Indian Dr	Lucasville	45648	Scioto County	Valley Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 259-2651	302	16	18.8	—	288 (95.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	65.3	386^th of 1046 public middle schools	63.1%		66.6	370^th of 1036 public middle schools	64.3%	16	60.5	60.6		72.4	48.7	54.1	70.4		72.4	62.8	66.2	69.0		$14,277
Portsmouth West Middle School	Public	6-8	15332 US Highway 52 Unit B	West Portsmouth	45663	Scioto County	Washington-Nile Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 858-6668	360	20	18.0	61.7%	324 (90.0%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	15 (4.2%)	40.1	669^th of 1046 public middle schools	36.0%		43.7	620^th of 1036 public middle schools	40.2%	49		63.6			22.1	37.2	35.9			40.7	60.5	53.2	100.0	$12,537
Minford Middle School	Public	4-8	135 Falcon Rd	Minford	45653	Scioto County	Minford Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 820-2181	443	29	15.2	—	434 (98.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	63.3	411^th of 1046 public middle schools	60.7%		56.4	493^rd of 1036 public middle schools	52.4%	82	61.5	63.9	64.9	65.4	45.8	53.6	69.4	57.1	69.2	59.7	65.5	64.4		$9,162
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	692 Mohawk Dr	Mc Dermott	45652	Scioto County	Northwest Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 259-2528	247	18	13.7	64.4%	242 (98.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	46.6	607^th of 1046 public middle schools	42.0%		56.8	488^th of 1036 public middle schools	52.9%	119		68.5			39.5	51.3	33.3			51.2	55.0	49.4	91.3	$16,485
Wheelersburg Middle School	Public	4-8	800 Pirate Dr	Wheelersburg	45694	Scioto County	Wheelersburg Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 574-2515	598	29	20.6	—	537 (89.8%)	3 (0.5%)	18 (3.0%)	16 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.0%)	85.4	108^th of 1046 public middle schools	89.7%		80	184^th of 1036 public middle schools	82.2%	76	74.3	84.4	86.4	61.5	82.1	63.2	86.1	84.8	84.4	83.7	77.8	73.4		$9,052
Eastern Middle School	Public	6-8	1170 Tile Mill Rd	Beaver	45613	Pike County	Eastern Local School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 226-1544	191	12	15.9	57.6%	185 (96.9%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	44.3	629^th of 1046 public middle schools	39.9%		53.2	529^th of 1036 public middle schools	48.9%	100		66.1			39.1	32.8	64.4			39.1	50.0	49.2		$14,276

Frequently Asked Questions about Clay Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Clay Middle School?

Students at Clay Middle School are 90% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

How many students attend Clay Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 134 students attended Clay Middle School.

What district is Clay Middle School in?

Clay Local

What high school do graduates of Clay Middle School attend?

Students who attend Clay Middle School usually go on to attend Clay High School

Is Clay Middle School a good school?

Clay Middle School ranks 601^st of 1046 Ohio middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Clay Middle School!

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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.