The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Chillicothe Primary School
Chillicothe Primary School serves kindergarten through second grade as the newest of the district's elementary campuses, opened following a district-wide grade-banded consolidation. The school is small, with a roughly even three-grade enrollment, and sits in a city that is economically stressed by the recent closure of a major employer and a failed school levy in May 2026.
The school's grade structure means it does not administer state tests, which are given in grades three and higher. The testing data available from the academic performance data reflects students who have moved on to the next building in the district's sequence, providing a backward-facing view. That data shows mixed results. In reading, the cohort scores as low as roughly one in two students in third grade, rising modestly in fourth grade and declining again by sixth grade. In math, proficiency drops sharply: third graders sit around three in five, but by fifth and sixth grade only about one in four or fewer students meet state standards. Science proficiency in fifth grade is just under one in two. The school's overall proficiency index, computed across tested grades and subjects from the feeder data, falls in the bottom quartile of districts in Ross County, which is a prompt for a parent to understand what supports are in place for early literacy and numeracy.
The student body is majority White, with roughly one in six students multiracial and smaller shares of Black and Hispanic students. Precise counts of students in special education or learning English are not reported in the available data. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility is also not reported; this measure is often withheld at the school level in Ohio. A parent may want to ask the school directly about income demographics and special population enrollment to understand the support infrastructure.
The district itself is in fiscal stress. The failed May 2026 levy means the district will likely cut staff and programs after already trimming budgets in prior years. The school opened as part of a major capital project funded in part by the state, but that construction investment does not insulate day-to-day operations from the revenue squeeze now unfolding. A parent choosing this school should ask the district directly about staffing plans, class sizes, and whether any programs or services will be reduced in the next school year.
Chillicothe itself is a small city in decline, with population holding steady but with the April 2025 announced closure of the Pixelle paper mill (a major employer for nearly a century) creating a significant budget hole for city government. The housing market is relatively affordable, with home values well below both the state and national benchmarks. The city's downtown has invested in revitalization and has genuine walkability in its core, with parks, restaurants, breweries, and cultural venues, but the city overall scores as minimally walkable. Schools are dispersed rather than concentrated downtown.
For a family considering this school, the core question is the trajectory of fiscal health and what it means for early-grade support. The building itself is new and purpose-built, which is a tangible asset. But the district's immediate budget constraints and the broader economic headwinds in Chillicothe make this a school to choose with eyes open to likely near-term staffing or program changes.
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