The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Math. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on South Avondale School
South Avondale School is a pre-K-through-sixth-grade elementary and middle school operated by Cincinnati Public Schools. The school sits in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati and serves a student body that is overwhelmingly Black, with a student body composed nearly entirely of Black students and a smaller share of students of other races and ethnicities. The school's enrollment is small to mid-sized for its grade band, spanning the full range from early childhood through early middle grades.
Academic proficiency at South Avondale is low across tested subjects. In the most recent state testing data available, students in grades three through eight scored well below proficiency benchmarks in math, English language arts, and science. Math proficiency was in the low range, English language arts proficiency was even lower, and science proficiency was substantially lower still, with only a very small fraction of tested students reaching proficiency. Science testing included a much smaller number of students, as only certain grades take that assessment. An older measure of social studies proficiency from 2016-17 showed similarly low results at both the fourth and sixth grade levels tested.
The school's proficiency index—a summary measure of overall academic performance—places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools across Hamilton County districts. This positioning reflects the cumulative effect of weak performance across the tested subjects and grade bands. Participation rates in testing are strong, indicating that students are being assessed, and the data itself is reliably reported.
Within Cincinnati Public Schools, the district faces meaningful budget constraints. In 2025–26, the district approved cost reductions that included elimination of classroom positions, changes to transportation, and shifts in school health staffing and athletic support services. Simultaneously, Cincinnati voters renewed the district's operating levy in November 2025 without raising property taxes, locking in dedicated funding for preschool expansion and K–12 operations including neighborhood schools and college- and career-readiness pathways over a ten-year period. The district has also adopted a new science-of-reading approach to English language arts instruction in grades K–3, with initial results showing a modest increase in third-grade reading proficiency year-over-year.
Housing in the South Avondale area and broader Cincinnati market shows moderate affordability, with home values near the neighborhood zip code roughly in line with state benchmarks, and rental costs stable year-over-year. The broader Cincinnati economy is anchored by major employers in consumer products, healthcare, aerospace, and finance, and the city is experiencing moderate population growth alongside active development downtown and in selected suburbs.
Free and reduced price lunch data was not available. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported for this school. The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate is applicable.
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