Best Public Schools in Zip Code 43056

ZIP code 43056 covers the city of Heath in Licking County, Ohio, and is served by four schools within a single K–12 district, Heath City: Garfield Elementary School (K–2), Stevenson Elementary School (3–5), Heath Middle School (6–8), and Heath High School (9–12), enrolling about 1,560 students combined. Heath City ranks 132nd of 773 Ohio districts (83rd percentile, 4 stars). All four buildings carry the same district rating, so for parents the more informative comparison is between schools — and those results differ sharply.

Heath High School is the strongest building, ranked 114th of 795 high schools (86th percentile) and improving for three straight years, with a 96.7% graduation rate. Its proficiency beats the state widely — 94.0% in American Government and 91.1% in Biology against state averages of 71.6% and 67.0% — but Geometry sits at 51.3%, still above the state's 43.3% yet the only subject where roughly half of students are not proficient. Heath Middle School ranks 159th of 1,046 (85th percentile), led by math: 77.1% in 7th grade versus 48.6% statewide, and 77.8% in 8th grade versus 52.0%. Stevenson Elementary School is the lowest-ranked school at 478th of 1,560 (69th percentile) and the only one declining, dropping from 4 stars to 3. Garfield Elementary School serves untested K–2 grades, so it reports no scores or rating.

Beyond test scores, the schools differ in attendance and resources. Chronic absenteeism runs 16.3% district-wide, best at Stevenson Elementary School (11.5%) and worst at Heath High School (22.9%) — high for a school with a 96.7% graduation rate. Free/reduced lunch eligibility falls from 46.2% at Garfield Elementary School to 39.6% at the high school. Heath Middle School posts the biggest average margin over the state despite the lowest per-student spending ($8,594) and by far the largest classes (20.7 students per teacher), though all spending figures date to 2018–19. Notably, the K–2 grades are about 15% smaller per grade than the middle school's, so the district's strong secondary results are being fed by larger cohorts than those now entering.