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

Northwestern Elementary School

Q: Is Northwestern Elementary School a good school?

Northwestern Elementary School ranks 310 th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

310^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,560 Ohio Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Ohio elementary schools

Summary

Northwestern Elementary School in West Salem, OH, is a PK–5 school of 632 students in the Northwestern Local district, located in rural West Salem about 10–12 miles from Ashland and Wooster. It has been a consistent top-quintile performer for a decade, earning 4 stars in nine of eleven tracked years and ranking at the 80th percentile in 2025–26. Average proficiency across seven tested measures was near 81%, compared with roughly 64% statewide; math is the standout, with 92.3% proficient in 4th grade and 86.7% in 5th grade, both the highest in its nearby comparison group.

Math results are durable, not a one-year spike: 5th-grade math has been at or above 85% for four straight years, running 28–37 points above the state, and its advantage over the next-best comparable school, Hillsdale Pk-6, is 10.5 points. Poverty has risen quickly—free/reduced lunch eligibility climbed from 31.52% in 2022–23 to 43.67% in 2024–25—yet the school held a 77–82 percentile rank, and its low-SES subgroup ranked in the 88th percentile in 2025–26, above the school’s own overall rank. Chronic absenteeism is 12.0%, better than the district’s 14.9%, though Kean Elementary School (3.4%), Melrose Elementary School (7.8%), and Hillsdale Pk-6 (8.3%) run tighter. Staffing is lean, with a 16.8 student–teacher ratio, second-lowest among nearby schools.

Watch items: 5th-grade science has slid from 90.5% to 77.1% over four years, still above state but trending down. Special education performance improved from the 27th percentile in 2023–24 to 54th in 2025–26, yet remains the lowest-ranked current subgroup. Among nearby schools, Kean Elementary School ranks higher overall (89th percentile) but serves less economic disadvantage, while Cornerstone Elementary School serves much higher poverty and ranks 37th percentile; Northwestern’s results sit closer to Kean’s while serving more need. Mapleton Elementary School is close in 4th-grade math but far behind in 5th-grade math and science. Overall, the school is a stable, high-performing school whose math instruction and ability to hold results as poverty rose are its most distinctive strengths.

632

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,471

Per pupil spending ?

43.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

92.6%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 7.5% (any vaccine)

7334 N Elyria Rd
West Salem, OH 44287-9790

(419) 846-3519

District: Northwestern Local

Students who attend Northwestern Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northwestern Middle School
High:	Northwestern High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.5%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Hispanic:

2.5%

See top rated Ohio elementary schools

Compare Northwestern Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 79th percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Ohio average (81% vs 64% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Ohio elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school81%

District avg81%

Ohio avg64%

310^th of 1,560

Ohio public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Ohio Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

159^th of 773Northwestern 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	79.7	310 of 1560	80.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	353 of 1558	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	319 of 1577	79.8%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	280 of 1596	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	84.3	227 of 1588	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	86.1	199 of 1610	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.8	534 of 1676	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.5	528 of 1636	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	77.6	367 of 1651	77.8%	★★★★☆
2016	78.6	346 of 1678	79.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.9	376 of 1684	77.7%	★★★★☆
2014	77.7	317 of 1687	81.2%	★★★★☆
2013	73.8	469 of 1701	72.4%	★★★★☆
2012	68.9	642 of 1709	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	74.1	435 of 1686	74.2%	★★★★☆
2010	79.0	255 of 1662	84.7%	★★★★☆
2009	79.8	200 of 1610	87.6%	★★★★☆
2008	77.3	292 of 1582	81.5%	★★★★☆
2007	71.0	489 of 1609	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.8	665 of 1504	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	68.4	491 of 1501	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	51.9	330 of 824	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.3	213 of 765	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	28.7	717 of 956	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.8	534 of 1021	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	254 of 1452	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	79.1	301 of 1452	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	341 of 1466	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	81.8	244 of 1483	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	219 of 1488	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	80.8	269 of 1467	81.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.2	440 of 1502	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	69.1	543 of 1518	64.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2018	65.7	188 of 759	75.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	81.1	183 of 1467	87.5%	★★★★☆
2025	83.0	160 of 1473	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	245 of 1484	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	171 of 1447	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	89.7	54 of 1419	96.2%	★★★★★
2021	89.9	59 of 1404	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	71.0	383 of 1465	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	350 of 1465	76.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	273 of 1467	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	78.4	313 of 1466	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.6	226 of 1485	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	78.1	339 of 1498	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.9	177 of 1518	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	88.3	115 of 1499	92.3%	★★★★★
2019	71.5	488 of 1535	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.2	439 of 1536	71.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	416 of 914	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.9	462 of 935	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.9	655 of 900	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.1	457 of 856	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	69.3	408 of 1181	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.7	390 of 1175	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.4	347 of 1190	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	268 of 1215	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	236 of 1242	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	80.4	224 of 1249	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	60.8	591 of 1271	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	550 of 1309	58.0%	★★★☆☆

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)88th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)81st percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2018)75th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)65th percentile-15 vs school

Disabled (2022)60th percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2026)54th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics86%+23 vs state

Science77%+14 vs state

English Language Arts76%+11 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Northwestern 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 Northwestern 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 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	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Northwestern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7334 N Elyria Rd	West Salem	44287	Wayne County	Northwestern Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 846-3519	632	37	16.8	43.7%	597 (94.5%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.7%)	79.7	310^th of 1560 public elementary schools	80.1%		78.5	353^rd of 1558 public elementary schools	77.3%	43	77.1	79.7	92.3	86.7		75.9	76.0	77.1		92.6%	7.5%	$12,471
Kean Elementary School	Public	K-4	432 Oldman Rd	Wooster	44691	Wayne County	Wooster City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 345-6634	313	16	19.5	29.7%	275 (87.9%)	3 (1.0%)	10 (3.2%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.8%)	84.3	176^th of 1560 public elementary schools	88.7%		76.8	392^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	74.8%	216		92.4	84.8			91.0	72.7			76.4%	1.8%	$14,338
Hillsdale Pk-6	Public	PK, KG-6	479 Township Road 1902	Jeromesville	44840	Ashland County	Hillsdale Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 368-4364	547	28	19.7	38.9%	524 (95.8%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	77.3	371^st of 1560 public elementary schools	76.2%		77.9	368^th of 1558 public elementary schools	76.4%	3	69.8	75.0	86.9	76.2	80.6	71.4	80.3	76.2	73.6	86.4%	7.4%	$12,581
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-4	773 Parkview Dr	Wooster	44691	Wayne County	Wooster City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 262-3821	264	15	17.7	50.4%	222 (84.1%)	9 (3.4%)	12 (4.5%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.4%)	73.9	459^th of 1560 public elementary schools	70.6%		59.2	747^th of 1558 public elementary schools	52.1%	288		78.6	78.1			78.9	68.3			68.8%	2.1%	$15,467
Reagan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	850 Jackson Dr	Ashland	44805	Ashland County	Ashland City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 289-7964	532	22	24.4	54.3%	492 (92.5%)	6 (1.1%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.6%)								(n/a)										88.1%	4.1%	$9,414
Mapleton Elementary School	Public	K-5	2 Mountie Dr	Ashland	44805	Ashland County	Mapleton Local	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 945-2188	363	20	18.4	—	354 (97.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	70	541^st of 1560 public elementary schools	65.3%		72.7	478^th of 1558 public elementary schools	69.3%	63	75.4	68.0	87.3	56.1		80.4	65.1	78.9		90.4%	9.6%	$11,329
Cornerstone Elementary School	Public	K-4	101 W Bowman St	Wooster	44691	Wayne County	Wooster City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 262-9666	347	22	15.8	79.5%	285 (82.1%)	12 (3.5%)	14 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.8%)	44.3	977^th of 1560 public elementary schools	37.4%		41.2	1012^th of 1558 public elementary schools	35.0%	35		58.2	64.7			55.7	54.4			88.1%	3%	$13,614
Melrose Elementary School	Public	K-4	1641 Sunset Ln	Wooster	44691	Wayne County	Wooster City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(330) 345-6434	251	14	17.6	53.0%	178 (70.9%)	7 (2.8%)	32 (12.7%)	8 (3.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.0%)	73.4	473^rd of 1560 public elementary schools	69.7%		62.5	682^nd of 1558 public elementary schools	56.2%	209		67.2	84.9			71.2	81.1			93%	0%	$14,496
Edison Elementary School	Public	2-3	1202 Masters Ave	Ashland	44805	Ashland County	Ashland City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 289-7965	411	21	19.4	67.4%	363 (88.3%)	3 (0.7%)	14 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.1%)								(n/a)		86.0				85.0						$11,173
Taft Intermediate School	Public	4-5	825 Smith Rd	Ashland	44805	Ashland County	Ashland City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 289-7967	460	18	24.9	59.3%	425 (92.4%)	5 (1.1%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	74.7	439^th of 1560 public elementary schools	71.9%		75.8	413^th of 1558 public elementary schools	73.5%	26	78.9		83.2	69.0			74.1	75.6				$10,413

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwestern Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Northwestern Elementary School?

Students at Northwestern Elementary School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Northwestern Elementary School in?

Northwestern Local

Is Northwestern Elementary School a good school?

Northwestern Elementary School ranks 310^th of 1560 Ohio elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Northwestern Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Northwestern Middle School
High : Northwestern High School

How many students attend Northwestern Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 632 students attended Northwestern Elementary School.

Rate Northwestern Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

OHOhio Elementary School Rankings

OHOhio District Rankings

Schools in West Salem, OH

Sign up for updates!

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

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.