The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Social studies. The lowest is 27% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on David Hill Community Learning Center
David Hill Community Learning Center serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Akron, a mid-sized city in Summit County that sits at the center of regional government and commerce. The school enrolls a small student body drawn largely from the immediate neighborhood and surrounding area.
The student population is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students; roughly two-thirds are Black. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility rates or counts of special-education or English learner students, so a parent cannot assess economic need composition or the intensity of services the school provides to these populations.
State assessment results for grades three through five show proficiency below what most families would hope for. In the most recent testing year, only about a quarter of students reached proficiency in English language arts and math on Ohio's State Tests. Science performance was notably stronger at about four in ten students, though the group tested was smaller. The school's overall proficiency rate, averaged across subjects and grades, falls into the bottom quartile among all Summit County school districts. These are genuine weak spots that a parent may want to discuss directly with the school, asking how instructional time is organized, what remediation and enrichment pathways exist, and what specific data the school tracks to measure progress on foundational skills.
The school sits in an Akron neighborhood and belongs to Akron City Schools, a district undergoing substantial change. In November 2024, Akron voters approved a new operating levy and bond issue after no new school taxes had passed in many years. This is the first real property-tax increase for the district in that span and will fund both ongoing operations and construction of a new high school. Simultaneously, ahead of that levy vote, the district had cut hundreds of positions, including dozens of teaching jobs, representing a lasting reduction in staff capacity. More recently and more positively, Akron Public Schools has adopted a College and Career Academies model across all high schools, built on inquiry-based learning and industry partnerships, and announced plans to expand this framework into elementary grades—a system-wide pedagogical shift that would affect every classroom in David Hill if those plans move forward.
The school's grade band means there is no graduation rate or high school course-access data. State assessment information covers only grades three through five, so proficiency results for kindergarten and first grade are not reported because those grades are not tested by the state. The most recent available social studies results date to the 2016-17 school year and are not included in the main proficiency figures.
Housing in the school's zip code area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. Median home values are significantly below the Ohio state average, and rental rates reflect that affordability. The local job market includes healthcare anchors (Summa Health, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron Children's Hospital), the University of Akron, polymer research centers, and a growing tech startup presence in the Bounce Innovation Hub downtown.
Akron itself is a mixed single-family residential city with distinct neighborhoods and a revitalizing downtown core anchored by civic institutions like the main library, Lock 3 Park, the Civic Theatre, and the Akron Art Museum. The city is working to improve walkability and has invested in the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and downtown public realm improvements. The University of Akron sits near downtown and provides cultural and employment infrastructure. The city averages only modest walkability overall, though some neighborhoods like Highland Square offer stronger street life and non-car access.
For a family choosing this school, the central questions are whether its current academic performance and the district's staffing constraints fit their child's needs, and whether the emerging College and Career Academies model—if it extends to elementary—will change the instructional environment in ways that matter to them. The affordability of the housing market and the presence of civic amenities and employment diversity in Akron itself are straightforward assets. The recent tax passage and planned new construction signal a district investing in itself, though the immediate effect of staff cuts is still being absorbed.
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