Summary:
ZIP code 44721 in Canton, Ohio is home to two elementary schools — Middlebranch Elementary School (K–4, 534 students) and Charles L Warstler Elementary School (K–5, 291 students) — both part of the Plain Local district, serving about 825 elementary students combined. State test results are reported for grades 3 and 4 only, so Warstler's fifth grade falls outside the comparison.
Middlebranch is the standout. It ranks in the top roughly 16% of Ohio elementary schools (252 of 1,560) and earns 4 stars, up from the 69th percentile the year before. It outperforms its district and the state on all four reported tests in both years, including the highest figure in the data — 91.4% proficiency in 3rd grade math, 29.3 points above the state. Chronic absenteeism is 10.6%, below the district's 15.2%. Its four-test average rose 7.1 points in a year when the state was essentially flat.
Warstler is the school of concern, ranking 1,075 of 1,560 (31st percentile, 2 stars) and declining from the 45th percentile. Its 3rd grade math proficiency of 40% is the lowest figure in the data — 22.1 points below the state and 35.5 points below the district. It trails the district on all eight reported tests, with 3rd grade the weakest point; 4th grade results are closer to the state. Chronic absenteeism is 15.5%, slightly above the district, and 55.33% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch versus 36.33% at Middlebranch. The two schools are separated by 51.4 points in 3rd grade math — a wider spread than between the state average and either school. Plain Local's district-wide 4-star rating masks this school-level range, so families comparing options should look at each school's own results and trends rather than the district label alone.
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