New Lexington School District, OH

Original Research by School Decision on New Lexington School District

New Lexington School District, located in Perry County in southeastern Ohio, is a small rural district serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve across four school buildings. The district enrolls a modest student population spread from elementary through high school, with the vast majority of students being white.

In state testing, New Lexington's proficiency rates across grades three through eight sit around the middle range. In English language arts, students demonstrated proficiency at a solid rate. Mathematics proficiency was somewhat lower, with around three out of five students meeting the state standard. Science proficiency came in between those two, while social studies performance was the highest among tested subjects. Across all tested subjects, the district's overall proficiency index placed it above the midpoint among Perry County's districts, the relevant peer group for comparison. Testing participation was nearly universal. However, the district does not publicly report a four-year graduation rate, so recent completion trends are not available from the data provided. One area worth monitoring is chronic absenteeism, which runs higher in this district than in its county peers.

The district's housing market is rural and affordable. Home values across the district's service area are substantially below state and national benchmarks. The towns within the district vary somewhat: New Lexington and New Straitsville show the most modest values, while Junction City, Somerset, and Logan command higher prices. Mortgage costs remain manageable relative to local incomes. The regional economy shows moderate unemployment, with household income data suggesting working families in the area face a reasonable price-to-income ratio for housing.

The defining feature of New Lexington Schools is its recent and dramatic investment in workforce development and career pathways. The district publicly reported receiving a substantial state grant for an Appalachian Community Innovation Centers Program award to renovate its Workforce Development Center. A major addition to the high school, under construction since spring 2025 and scheduled to complete by the end of 2026, will add specialized technical labs, an expanded health clinic run in partnership with Genesis HealthCare, and training space for both secondary and adult education. The high school now offers eight career pathways spanning welding, electrical trades (through an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers partnership), advanced manufacturing, healthcare credentials including phlebotomy and state nursing assistant certification, drone operation, and media production. Students graduate with industry-recognized credentials rather than just diplomas. The district also received additional state equipment funding to expand these offerings further. Career exposure has been intentionally woven into elementary and middle school as well, with business partnerships growing substantially. The district publicly reported that its graduation rate rose measurably between an earlier period and 2023, attributed in part to these workforce initiatives. For a family considering the area, this represents a lasting structural shift in what secondary education looks like here: genuine preparation for immediate skilled employment alongside traditional academic pathways.

The district does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, special education enrollment, or English learner data, so the full picture of student economic need and support intensity is incomplete. State assessment trend data covers only one year, so whether recent proficiency rates reflect sustained improvement or variation is unclear. The chronic absenteeism rate, though higher than peer districts in the county, warrants direct conversation with the district to understand the causes and what supports are in place.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,770

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 1%

Black 1%

White 96%

Asian 0%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

74%

—

Gr 4

63%

—

Gr 5

63%

—

Gr 6

52%

—

Gr 7

63%

—

Gr 8

54%

—

Gr 38

62%

—

Math

Gr 3

74%

—

Gr 4

67%

—

Gr 5

38%

—

Gr 6

47%

—

Gr 7

62%

—

Gr 8

58%

—

Gr 38

58%

—

Science

Gr 5

56%

—

Gr 8

66%

—

Gr 38

61%

—

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

Junction City Elementary School

New Lexington Elementary School

New Lexington Middle School

New Lexington High School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

58%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

62%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

61%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$193,243

Year-over-year change-0.9%

Range across 8 ZIP codes$93K to $326K

vs. state typical0.79x

vs. national typical0.52x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (8 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
43764	New Lexington	$178K	-3.2%	51.6%
43748	Junction City	$216K	+2.5%	38.5%
43777	Roseville	$154K	-2.3%	3.5%
43766	New Straitsville	$93K	-4.9%	2.7%
43783	Somerset	$296K	-0.6%	2.2%
43150		$326K	+2.7%	0.6%
43138	Logan	$258K	+4.5%	0.1%
43107	Bremen	$282K	+1.5%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$975/mo

Home price / national median income2.3x

Comparison

State typical home value$244,844 (+3.6% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.