Summary:
ZIP code 43521 covers Fayette, Ohio, a small rural community in Fulton County with just two schools — Fayette Elementary School (PK–5, 219 students) and Fayette Junior/Senior High School (6–12, 109 students) — both part of the Fayette Local district and located at the same address, giving the area 328 students total. 6th grade moved into the secondary building in 2025-26, so students now move straight from a PK–5 elementary into a combined 6–12 campus.
Comparing the two: the elementary posts the higher average proficiency (63.9% vs 55.6%) and much lower chronic absenteeism (14.0% vs 24.3% — nearly one in four at the high school). Its standout result is 5th grade English language arts at 91.7%, well above the state's 70.4%, though 3rd grade ELA sits at 44.4%, below the state's 63.4% — a 40-point spread within the same subject and building. The junior/senior high counters with a 100% graduation rate and strong social studies (American Government 80%, American History 81%, both above state), plus 6th grade math at 77.3% against a 56.2% state figure. Its weak spots are upper-level math and science: Algebra I at 28.6% versus 61.6% statewide, and Biology at 47.6% versus 67.0%.
Parents should weigh a few cautions. Both schools carry 2 stars, and both have slipped in statewide percentile ranking recently (elementary 61st to 48th; high school 38th to 30th). Poverty rates are nearly identical in both buildings (about 53%), so they don't explain the proficiency gap. Most importantly, these are tiny cohorts of roughly 12–27 students per test, where one child can shift a result by 4–8 points — and absenteeism, lunch, staffing and spending data cover only a single year (spending dates to 2018-19), so trends should be read with care.
Thank you for your feedback!