Summary:
ZIP code 45420 straddles the Dayton–Kettering line and contains seven schools — four elementary, one middle, one high school, and one K–12 alternative — serving roughly 4,363 students across grades PK–12. Three governance settings are represented: the Kettering City School District (three schools, 77th percentile statewide, 4 stars), Dayton City (two schools, 6th percentile, 0 stars), and two charters, Dayton Regional STEM Schools and Montgomery Preparatory Academy. Free/reduced-price lunch data is missing for three schools, and spending figures date to 2018–19.
The clear academic outlier is Dayton Regional STEM Schools: a 98.7% graduation rate, 8.2% chronic absenteeism, and 84.0% average proficiency — about 24 points above the state — achieved on the ZIP's lowest per-pupil spending ($7,593). Among traditional schools, Indian Riffle Elementary School (4 stars, 80.1% proficiency) and Kettering Middle School (4 stars, 75.6%) post strong results, while Greenmont Elementary School earns 3 stars despite the ZIP's highest verified poverty rate (73.58%). At the other end, Belmont High School (0 stars, 21.0% proficiency, 68.7% absenteeism, 57.3% graduation) and Montgomery Preparatory Academy (0 stars, 24.6% proficiency, 77.5% absenteeism) are the most acute concerns. Cleveland Elementary School (1 star) trails state averages but beats its own Dayton City district in 8 of 9 tested areas.
Two patterns matter most for families. First, attendance tracks achievement closely: the schools with the lowest absenteeism post the highest scores, and the two Dayton City schools show opposite attendance cultures within one district. Second, spending does not explain outcomes here — the top performer spends the least. Trajectory also differs: Kettering Middle climbed from the 62nd to the 77th percentile over three years, while Indian Riffle, Greenmont, and Belmont all slipped. The advanced-math pipeline divides sharply, with Kettering Middle's Geometry and Algebra I results near or at 100% against Belmont's 18.2% on the same exams.
Thank you for your feedback!