The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cincinnati Digital Academy
Cincinnati Digital Academy is a K through 12 public school within Cincinnati Public Schools operating on Ezzard Charles Drive downtown. It serves about five hundred students, with a substantial majority Black, and a significant minority white population alongside smaller numbers of students identifying as multiracial, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native. Enrollment skews toward the high school grades, with middle school and early high school grades making up the bulk of attendance.
The school's academic standing is below the midpoint among Hamilton County school districts. In the most recent state testing, proficiency in English language arts reached roughly one-third of tested students in grades 3 through 8, while math proficiency was much lower at roughly one-sixth. Science testing showed proficiency just below one-quarter, though the tested group was smaller. Overall proficiency across subjects ranked in the bottom quartile for the county. These numbers suggest students at this school are struggling with core academic content, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it is addressing remediation, what literacy and math interventions are in place, and whether tutoring or pull-out support is available.
The school serves K through 12, which is unusual; most schools separate elementary, middle, and high school. This configuration can create a unique peer environment where younger students encounter teenagers on campus. It also means the school operates programs across a wide age range, which shapes both how classrooms are organized and how common experiences feel across the student body.
Digital Academy's formal name through the district records is John J. Gilligan Digital Academy, suggesting a digital or online-delivered component to its program model, though the specific pedagogical approach and whether coursework is delivered in person, online, or hybrid is not detailed in the available data. A parent should contact the school to understand what digital or blended learning looks like day to day and whether this model fits a student's learning style.
No graduation rate is available in the data provided. Cincinnati Public Schools has faced substantial budget cuts heading into the 2025-26 school year, including elimination of many classroom positions and reductions in support services. These district-level pressures may affect staffing, support capacity, and programs at all schools in the system, including this one. The district has also adopted new literacy curricula and training across grades K through 12 to align with the science of reading, which should support early reading instruction; whether that work has yet reached full implementation at this particular school is not specified.
Housing values in Cincinnati's immediate metro area hover in the mid-range regionally, with median home prices moderate and rental costs reflecting a reasonably balanced market. The area has seen downtown-focused investment in convention-district redevelopment and continuing apartment construction, though growth overall is modest.
Cincinnati Digital Academy appears best suited for families seeking a K through 12 setting in a single location and those interested in digital or blended instruction. The low state testing proficiency should be weighed carefully alongside program details, support structures, and how the school plans to help students master reading and math. A direct conversation with school leadership about remediation strategies, intervention intensity, and how the digital model serves struggling learners would help families assess fit.
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