Original Research by School Decision on Global Impact Stem Academy
Global Impact STEM Academy is a lottery-entry charter school in Springfield that serves grades seven through twelve across Clark County and draws students from across Ohio. Beginning fall 2025, it is adding sixth grade, moving the entry point earlier for families planning ahead.
The school operates as a single entity with enrollment concentrated around this seventh-grade admissions cohort and declining modestly through twelfth grade as students age out. The enrolled population is predominantly white, with a meaningful share identifying as two or more races. The school does not report its free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate, special-education enrollment, or English-learner population, so a parent looking to understand economic or language-access composition at the school will need to contact the district directly.
GISA has positioned itself around STEM pathways, particularly agriculture, bioscience, and aerospace. Publicly reported, the school recently added coursework in unmanned aircraft systems in which students can earn a commercial drone license, with instructor training through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This represents a broadening of its career offerings beyond its original agricultural and bioscience focus.
The school's performance data from the state is not available in the public record, so a parent cannot assess proficiency or graduation outcomes from state-reported testing or accountability measures. The one comparative metric available shows chronic absenteeism at a rate placing it in the top quartile among the county's districts. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range among Clark County's districts.
A parent should know that GISA is undergoing significant structural changes. The school opened a new Upper Academy facility on Clark State College's campus in fall 2025 for grades ten through twelve, embedding high schoolers on the college campus and expanding access to dual-credit coursework. In fall 2027, a Phase II expansion is scheduled to open, at which point the Upper Academy will house all grades nine through twelve, and a separate South Limestone campus will serve grades six through eight. This means the physical location and peer environment of the school will shift depending on entry grade and timing.
Because GISA is a lottery-entry school open to any student in Ohio, admissions are not automatic. The addition of sixth grade and the opening of expanded high-school capacity both increase the total number of seats available, which may improve admission odds for families applying. Parents weighing a lottery school should clarify the current admissions timeline with the school, as the transition to a middle and high school configuration is ongoing.
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