The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Science. The lowest is 82% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bradford Jr High School
Bradford Jr High School is a small, traditional public middle school serving grades six through eight in the village of Bradford, part of Bradford Community Unit School District 1 in Stark County. The enrollment is modest, with roughly balanced cohorts across the three grades. The student body is predominantly white, with very limited diversity representation in the available data. Specific demographic detail on free-or-reduced-price lunch status and special populations was not provided.
The school's academic standing is a strength. On state math assessments, sixth graders and eighth graders both showed proficiency rates in the mid-to-upper range; seventh grade math proficiency was lower. In English language arts, the pattern is reversed: sixth and seventh graders both posted solid results, while eighth graders showed notably strong performance. In science, tested at eighth grade, proficiency was strong. Across all tested grades and subjects where data is available, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to the other districts in Stark County. All grades showed full participation in the state assessments. A parent may want to discuss the seventh-grade math results in more detail with the school to understand whether specific supports or interventions are in place. State assessment data for earlier grades (three, four, and five) was not available, likely because those grades are not housed at this middle school.
The school operates in a small rural village of roughly a few hundred residents that is slowly contracting in population. Bradford itself has minimal commerce and no significant employer base; the local economy centers on agriculture and scattered small businesses. The village is compact and walkable at its core, with a public library, small parks, and limited retail. There is no high school in Bradford; the district deactivated its high school some years ago, so eighth-grade graduates must travel to one of two regional high schools in neighboring towns. This consolidation reflects the long-term enrollment and population decline affecting the area.
Housing values in the Bradford zip code are below state and national medians, making home ownership financially accessible. The surrounding county shows moderate economic indicators including reasonable unemployment and median household income levels. For a family considering Bradford Jr High, the main profile is a small-town setting with solid math and language arts performance and a stable, personalized school environment, paired with the reality of limited local secondary options and the demographic and economic pressures of a rural village in slow decline.
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