Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 45238

Three elementary schools serve ZIP 45238 on Cincinnati's west side — Dater Montessori School and Covedale School, both PK–6 schools in Cincinnati Public Schools, and Delshire Elementary School, a K–5 school in Oak Hills Local — together enrolling about 1,530 students and ranked between 903rd and 1,049th of roughly 1,560 Ohio elementary schools.

All three land in a narrow band, at the 33rd to 42nd percentile statewide, but they get there very differently. Delshire posts the strongest overall proficiency (60.1%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (20.2%), yet it trails its own district in all seven of its tested subject-grades by an average of 15.4 points — a relatively weak school inside a stronger district. Covedale is the momentum story: its rank climbed from 1,057 to 905 over three years, with 5th grade ELA jumping from 38.3% to 77.8% and 5th grade math from 46.7% to 70.8%. It also has the smallest classes (14.2 students per teacher) and the highest per-student spending ($11,261) — but its 3rd grade ELA of 37.5% is the weakest single score in the group. Dater is the inverse: 85.9% proficient in 3rd grade ELA, the highest score anywhere in this data, and chronic absenteeism of 22.9% against a district rate of 44.6%, but 4th, 5th and 6th grade math sit 21 to 36 points below the state.

For parents, the practical takeaway is that no single school here is strong everywhere. If early literacy and attendance matter most, Dater's numbers stand out, though the upper-grade math weakness is consistent across three grade levels. If you want steady improvement and small classes, Covedale is trending upward. If you want the best absolute results and attendance that matches district norms, Delshire fits — just know it underperforms its high-rated district. One caution: much of the improvement story rests on a single 5th grade cohort of a few dozen children, and the gains should be confirmed with another year of data before being read as a durable trend. Free/reduced lunch is not reported for Dater or Covedale, and spending figures date to 2018–19.