Original Research by School Decision on Dayton Athletic Vocational Academy
Dayton Athletic Vocational Academy is a small charter high school district in Montgomery County, Ohio, serving a student body of about ninety students in grades nine through twelve. The school has recently undergone a significant rebrand, adopting the name Five Rivers Career Prep High School, relocating to a new campus, and repositioning itself as a tuition-free, open-enrollment school centered on credit recovery and industry-recognized certifications for students ages fourteen through twenty-one.
The student population is predominantly Black, with a smaller representation of white and Hispanic students. The school operates as a specialized pathway rather than a traditional comprehensive high school, which explains why state testing proficiency data and graduation rate information are not available in the standard reporting format. However, publicly reported data on this school's four-year graduation rate shows persistently low outcomes over recent years, a pattern a parent should discuss directly with the school when considering enrollment.
A defining challenge for the school is chronic absenteeism. The rate reported is substantially above the median for Montgomery County districts, placing it in the bottom quartile among the county's districts. This is a material concern for any student-centered program, particularly one built around credit recovery and career certification, where consistent attendance directly shapes completion and credential value. A parent considering this school should ask directly how the school supports attendance and what specific interventions are in place for chronically absent students.
Per-pupil spending at the school sits in the upper-middle range for the county, indicating reasonable resource allocation relative to its peers. The school describes itself as offering pipeline opportunities to in-demand jobs and maintains an explicit focus on students who may benefit from a smaller, alternative learning environment and direct career preparation alongside academic credit recovery.
The rebrand and relocation are material recent changes. The shift from Dayton Athletic Vocational Academy to Five Rivers Career Prep High School reflects a repositioning in how the school frames itself to families and the community. For a parent evaluating this school, the rebrand signals an intentional effort to refresh identity and mission, but the underlying enrollment and outcome patterns remain the primary basis for an enrollment decision.
A parent weighing this school should view it as a credit recovery and vocational alternative suited to a student who benefits from a very small setting, direct industry certification, and flexible scheduling for older teens, rather than as a path to traditional college-focused outcomes. The attendance pattern and graduation history warrant a direct conversation with school leadership about how students stay engaged and complete their credentials.
See more original research from School Decision →