The top reported proficiency rate is 6% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dampe Community School
Dampe Community School is a small charter school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Cincinnati's Melrose Avenue neighborhood. The enrollment is approximately one hundred students distributed across its seven grades, with all enrolled students identifying as Black. The school is operated by AIC Education Partners.
The school's academic performance is substantially below state benchmarks. On the most recent state assessments, proficiency rates were extremely low across tested subjects: in English language arts, a small fraction of students scored at proficient levels, with most students falling below the standard. In mathematics, no students met proficiency thresholds. In science, proficiency was similarly minimal. These results place the school at the bottom quartile of schools in Hamilton County when measured by overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into what instructional supports and interventions the school has in place, and what trajectory or timeline exists for improvement.
Cincinnati, where the school sits, is a diverse city with downtown and river-adjacent neighborhoods alongside hillside residential areas. The city's economy is anchored by consumer products, healthcare, and finance. Housing in the school's zip code is currently valued in a range consistent with greater Cincinnati, though home values have declined slightly in the past year. Rents in the area remain relatively stable.
In October 2024, the school experienced a significant operational disruption. Seventeen employees were laid off, and the school was subsequently unable to pay those employees for weeks prior to termination. Multiple staff members reported bounced paychecks and direct deposit failures, and attempts to reach the parent organization for resolution went unanswered. This event is material to how a family should evaluate the school's operational stability and capacity to deliver consistent programming and staffing. The school remained open and operating, but a family considering enrollment would be right to ask directly about the school's current financial footing, staffing plans, and any steps taken since to ensure payroll reliability.
The school's small size means that students have regular access to teachers and staff, and the enrollment is concentrated enough that peer groups are tight-knit. The location on Melrose Avenue places the school within Cincinnati's neighborhoods, with transit access via the Metro bus system and relatively walkable streets in the surrounding area. State testing data for the earliest grades was not available, as Ohio does not test kindergarten through second grade.
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