The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Worley Elementary School
Worley Elementary School is a small K-6 school in Canton's northwest residential area serving students across the grades that Ohio tests for proficiency. The school draws about one-third of its enrollment from Black families, somewhat less than two-fifths from white families, with smaller shares of mixed-race and Hispanic students. Detailed family poverty data is not available in the public record.
On state testing, Worley's proficiency results sit below the mid-range for Stark County's schools. In English Language Arts across tested grades three through six, a bit more than half of students tested reached proficiency. In math, about two-fifths did. Science testing happened at grade five only, with a smaller fraction reaching proficiency. The school tested all students who were enrolled, and scale scores in each subject cluster in the upper-600s, suggesting consistent performance across the tested population but notably below what higher-performing districts in the county demonstrate.
A parent considering Worley should know that this trajectory sits in the bottom quartile for the county. Whether that reflects school practice, student population mobility, or local context cannot be determined from test scores alone. The school has only one year of recent data, so it is not yet possible to see whether proficiency is stable or moving.
Canton City Schools has been in transition. In May 2023, voters narrowly approved a bond to build two new elementary schools. The district is shifting from a configuration where students changed buildings every few years to a K-6 neighborhood school model. Worley is being replaced by a new building, Timken Elementary, built at another site using bond funds. The district has announced that students will be reassigned to new attendance zones. This restructuring is substantial: families will receive notice of which building their child will attend next year, class sizes are increasing across all grades, and the district is reducing staff and consolidating buildings.
The broader housing market in the Canton zip code is moderately valued; mortgage estimates and median home values run somewhat below state and national benchmarks, and rent is correspondingly lower. The area has experienced long-term population decline, though recent years show stabilization rather than steep ongoing loss. Employment centers are healthcare, manufacturing, and steel; the economy reflects a mix of traditional industry and newer service work.
A parent evaluating Worley should consider it as a school in active transition. The building itself is being phased out in favor of the new neighborhood school model. Before committing or making longer-term plans, a family would benefit from clarifying with Canton City Schools when the transition happens, which new building their child would attend, and what the classroom and support structure looks like at that location. The current proficiency numbers position Worley below typical performance in the county, but without multi-year data and without knowing the full context of student demographics and local factors, those numbers should be weighed alongside a visit and direct conversation with staff about the school's approach and the upcoming changes.
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