Parma City, OH - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Parma City

Parma City Schools serves a community spanning the southwest suburbs of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County. The district covers Parma, Parma Heights, Independence, and portions of Brookpark, managing an enrollment of roughly nine thousand students from prekindergarten through grade twelve across six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.

State testing results place the district below the midpoint among Cuyahoga County's districts in overall proficiency. In the most recent year, reading proficiency sits in the low-to-mid range, with math and science proficiency somewhat lower. Social studies proficiency is notably stronger. The district's participation rate on state assessments is very high, so these results reflect broad student engagement with testing. Trend data available for only the current year does not reveal whether these numbers represent movement or stability.

The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and meaningful representation from Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Specific free-or-reduced-price lunch figures and English learner counts were not available in the data. The district's overall student demographics reflect a suburban, mixed community rather than a highly concentrated one.

The district faced significant structural change at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Parma Senior High School, a traditional high school, closed permanently; the building was demolished in 2024. Two elementary schools, Parma Park and Renwood, also closed. Students who would have attended Parma Senior are now redistricted to either Normandy or Valley Forge High School. This consolidation shifted the district's configuration to six elementary, three middle, and two high schools, a change that directly affects which buildings families' children attend and eliminates one pathway through the district's high school options.

A more pressing concern is the district's financial trajectory. Parma City Schools has not passed a new operating levy since well before the current cycle. Levy attempts have failed repeatedly, including in May and November of 2025 and again in May 2026. The district's financial forecast, publicly reported, projects it will exhaust reserves by the end of the 2028-29 fiscal year. In response to earlier levy failures, the district publicly announced it is considering eliminating elective courses and charging students to participate in extracurricular activities. These are not speculative; they are direct parent-relevant planning in the face of a known shortfall. A parent considering this district should view the funding situation as a source of real uncertainty about what programs, course breadth, and activities will be available in coming years.

On a brighter note, the district ranks in the top quartile among Cuyahoga County districts for chronic absenteeism, meaning its students are attending school at a stronger rate than the typical county district. Per-pupil spending is in the upper-middle range for the county, though this will likely tighten if the fund balance declines. The housing market in the district's communities is moderately affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with recent year-over-year home values stable and rents rising modestly. The area is establishing itself as accessible to families seeking suburban living near Cleveland.

For a parent evaluating Parma City Schools, the core question is timing and risk tolerance. The academic performance is mid-tier for the region, the community is stable and diverse, and the school buildings are operating. But the district is on a publicly documented financial path toward a structural crisis in fewer than three years. A family planning to stay through the next several school years should understand that cuts to electives, sports, or other programs may occur regardless of academic adequacy. A family with younger children should ask directly what the district's contingency planning looks like and whether any new revenue sources are under discussion.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

8,931

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 15%

Black 8%

White 67%

Asian 3%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

58%

—

Gr 4

76%

—

Gr 5

70%

—

Gr 6

53%

—

Gr 7

62%

—

Gr 8

54%

—

Gr 38

62%

—

Math

Gr 3

67%

—

Gr 4

76%

—

Gr 5

59%

—

Gr 6

49%

—

Gr 7

42%

—

Gr 8

54%

—

Gr 38

59%

—

Science

Gr 5

62%

—

Gr 8

58%

—

Gr 38

60%

—

Schools in this District

16 schools are officially reported under this district.

Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Dentzler Elementary School

Green Valley Elementary School

Greenbriar Middle School

Hillside Middle School

John Muir Elementary School

Normandy High School

Parma High School

Parma Park Elementary School

Renwood Elementary School

Ridge-Brook Elementary School

Thoreau Park Elementary School

Valley Forge High School

Shiloh Middle School

First Step Preschool

Parma Virtual Learning Academy

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

1 grade reported

59%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

62%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

60%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$236,296

Year-over-year change+5.0%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$209K to $315K

vs. state typical0.97x

vs. national typical0.64x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
44134	Parma	$210K	+5.0%	32.5%
44130	Parma Heights	$237K	+5.1%	31.7%
44129	Parma	$209K	+5.5%	18.9%
44131	Independence	$315K	+4.5%	16.9%
44142	Brookpark	$214K	+5.7%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,396/mo

Year-over-year change+8.8%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,237 to $1,636/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
44134	Parma	$1,636	+15.6%	32.5%
44130	Parma Heights	$1,237	+3.4%	31.7%
44129	Parma	$1,249	+6.3%	18.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,192/mo

Home price / national median income2.8x

Annual rent / national median income20.0%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$204/mo

Market Activity: Cuyahoga County

Median listing price$225,000

Median listing price YoY-3.0%

Median price per sq ft$143

Median price per sq ft YoY+1.4%

Median days on market40.5 days

Median days on market YoY+5.2%

Active listings1,999

Active listings YoY+5.6%

New listings1,680

New listings YoY+6.6%

Pending listings1,861

Pending listings YoY+5.2%

Hotness: median listing price$212,450

Hotness: median listing price YoY-4.5%

Supply score76.9

Supply score YoY+1.2%

Demand score76.9

Demand score YoY+1.1%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

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.