The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in Social studies. The lowest is 72% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Bellaire Elementary School
Bellaire Elementary School sits in a small Ohio River village in the midst of a long economic contraction. The school serves prekindergarten through fourth grade in what was once the "Glass City," a 19th-century industrial hub built around glass factories and coal mines. Today Bellaire is working-class and tenure-heavy, with low median incomes and high childhood poverty. Population peaked generations ago and has declined since; the village lost its city status when the count fell below replacement levels. The surrounding Belmont County landscape is rural and economically pressured, though the school's immediate context is a compact village where the elementary school, high school, library, and civic anchors all sit within the same few blocks.
The school itself enrolls roughly a few hundred students across six grade bands, from early childhood through fourth grade. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the community. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller numbers of students who identify as multiracial or Black. State data on English learners and special education enrollment were not available, so a parent may want to reach out directly to the school about the availability of those services.
On state testing, the school's most recent math proficiency rate places it solidly in the top quartile relative to other districts in Belmont County. English language arts proficiency is somewhat lower, though still respectable. Full trend data across multiple years were not available, so a single year's snapshot is what the data provides. The school participates fully in the state assessment, with participation rates at one hundred percent.
Beginning the 2025-26 school year, all students in Bellaire Local Schools receive breakfast and lunch at no cost under the federal Community Eligibility Provision. For a family budget-conscious about recurring household costs, this is a material change: meals formerly provided at free or reduced rates are now universal and cost-free.
The housing context shows homes in the Bellaire area are significantly less expensive than state and national medians, placing homeownership within reach for moderate-income families. The trade-off is clear: the affordability reflects the village's economic trajectory and the older housing stock, much of which was built in the mid-20th century or earlier. Rental options exist and rent-to-income ratios are manageable by national standards. But the surrounding village also carries a high residential vacancy rate, well above U.S. norms, and recent employment growth has been flat or negative. This is a place where a family can afford to live, but where economic opportunity and population stability are not growth stories.
The school itself operates as a regular public elementary school within a small, consolidated district. Programming specifics beyond grade span were not detailed in available data. A parent considering this school would want to visit, speak with current families, and ask the administration directly about curriculum approach, special services, and after-school or enrichment offerings, since those details fall outside what the state and federal data sets provide.
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