Summary:
ZIP code 43344 covers Richwood, Ohio, where three public schools serve local families — all part of North Union Local School District. Together they cover every grade level: North Union Elementary School (PK–5, 654 students), North Union Middle School (6–8, 325 students), and North Union High School (9–12, 385 students), for a total of 1,364 students. The district overall is rated 409th of 773 Ohio districts — 47th percentile, 2 stars.
The elementary school is the district's clear bright spot: 599th of 1,560 schools (62nd percentile, 3 stars), with the same 3-star rating three years running and every reported 2025–2026 test above the state average. Its strongest results include 4th grade math (81.6% proficient vs. 67.3% statewide) and 4th grade English (72.4% vs. 61.8%). The middle school shows the opposite trend, slipping from 4 stars and the 71st percentile in 2023–2024 to 2 stars and the 44th percentile now. Its 7th grade math scores are the sharpest concern — 23.9% proficient versus a state rate of 48.6%. The high school is mixed: Biology (83.6% vs. 67.0%) and English II (75.0% vs. 62.7%) are strong, and the 99.0% graduation rate is excellent, but Algebra I and American Government fall below state averages.
Chronic absenteeism climbs sharply with grade level — 10.5% at the elementary, 14.7% at the middle, and 26.5% at the high school, well above the district's 16.3%. Notably, the elementary and middle schools have nearly identical free/reduced lunch rates (44.34% and 44.92%) yet very different results, suggesting school-level factors matter. Spending also does not track with outcomes: the high school spends the most per student ($10,584) while the elementary spends the least ($9,371) and performs best. Student-teacher ratios show the same pattern — 19.8 elementary, 18.0 middle, 16.7 high.
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