Summary:
ZIP code 43713 in Barnesville, Ohio, is home to a single middle school, Barnesville Middle School, which serves grades 5–8 and enrolls 418 students in the Barnesville Exempted Village district. Because this is the only school offering those grades locally, its reported figures match the district's exactly — so what holds true for the school's middle grades also holds true for the district's.
The school performs well above the Ohio average and is improving. It ranked 325 of 1,046 middle schools statewide in 2025-26 — the 69th percentile — up from 472nd (55th percentile) two years earlier, a climb of 147 places. It beat the state in 9 of 10 tested areas, averaging about 69.9% proficient overall against a state average of 61.9%. Science is the standout, running roughly 21–22 points above the state in both 5th and 8th grade. Math averages about 11 points above the state, with 8th grade math at 79.8% versus 52% statewide. English language arts sits closer to the state average, about 6 points above, and 7th grade ELA at 61.8% is the only assessment slightly below the state figure of 62.7% — by just under a point.
Parents should note the uneven grade-level picture. Grade 8 is the bright spot, improving in math, ELA and science. Grade 7 is the weak link, declining year over year in both math and ELA; some of that appears to reflect a different group of students rather than weaker teaching, since cohort tracking shows the current 7th graders were already the lowest-scoring group a year earlier. Chronic absenteeism is about 26%, roughly one in four students, which is a clear area to watch. Note also that the free/reduced lunch percentage is not reported, so there is no poverty indicator to add context, and the per-student spending figure of $8,559 dates back to 2018-19.
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