Summary:
ZIP code 45696 contains just two public schools — Symmes Valley Elementary School serving grades PK–8 and Symmes Valley High School serving grades 9–12 — both operated by the Symmes Valley Local district, with a combined enrollment of 741 students and about 74% of them at the elementary level.
Symmes Valley Elementary School is the academic standout. It ranks 368 of 1,560 schools (76th percentile, 4 stars) in 2025–26, up from 64th percentile and 3 stars in 2023–24 — a clear upward trend. It scored above the state on 14 of 15 listed tests, including 3rd grade math at 84.1% proficient versus 62.1% statewide, 3rd grade ELA at 88.6% versus 63.4%, and Algebra I at 100% versus 61.6% (a result that may reflect a small cohort). The only test below state level was 8th grade ELA at 53.7% versus 58.3%, though that was still an improvement. Chronic absenteeism is 21.2%.
Symmes Valley High School presents a very different picture. With 195 students, it has held 1 star for three straight years and ranks 611 of 795 (23rd percentile). It was above the state only in American History (75.0% vs. 73.2%) and essentially tied in Algebra I, while Geometry is a severe weakness at 9.9% versus 43.3% statewide, with Biology and English II also well below state averages. Its graduation rate of 98.4% is an excellent bright spot, but chronic absenteeism is 34.7%, compared with 21.2% at the elementary school and 24.7% districtwide. Notably, the high school has a lower student–teacher ratio (11.0 vs. 14.3) and higher historical per-student spending ($10,816 vs. $9,157 in 2018–19) without better test results. The district's 3-star, 57th-percentile profile sits between these two schools and hides the divide. Free/reduced lunch data are not reported, so economic disadvantage cannot be assessed.
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