Summary:
ZIP code 45410 in Dayton contains three schools serving elementary grades — Emerson Academy (K–8), Ruskin Elementary School (PK–6), and Dayton SMART Elementary School (K–6) — enrolling a combined 1,321 students, with all three currently ranked in the bottom quarter of Ohio schools.
Emerson Academy is the largest (674 students) and the strongest on state rankings, at the 26th percentile for 2025–26, up from the 14th percentile the prior year. It is also the only school here with any 2025–26 test above the state average (4th grade math and 8th grade math), though those are just 2 of its 14 reported tests. Ruskin Elementary School (553 students) has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 27.7%, well below the 43.8% for its district, Dayton City, and it outperforms that district in 7 of 9 reported tests — but still trails the state in every subject, with 6th grade a particular weak spot. Dayton SMART Elementary School is the smallest at 94 students, and its size makes results swing widely: it has the highest absenteeism (48.1%), the lowest proficiency averages, a rank drop from the 22nd to the 8th percentile, and 0% proficiency in 5th grade science.
Across the three schools, only 2 of 29 reported 2025–26 test results beat state averages, so families should expect proficiency rates well below Ohio norms. Resources do not track neatly with results — Ruskin has both the highest student-teacher ratio (19.7) and the highest per-student spending, while Dayton SMART has the smallest classes but the weakest outcomes. Note also that spending figures date to 2018–19, free/reduced-lunch data are not reported for any of the three, and Dayton SMART's very small enrollment makes year-to-year comparisons unreliable.
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