The top reported proficiency rate is 10% in Science. The lowest is 0% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Alfred Benesch
Alfred Benesch is a small public elementary and middle school in Cleveland, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. The school enrolls about a few hundred students, the vast majority of whom are Black. The demographic composition is highly concentrated: one student identifies as white, a small number identify as Hispanic, and the rest identify as Black or multiracial.
The school is located on Quincy Avenue in the 44104 zip code area of Cleveland, a neighborhood on the city's east side. Housing values in that area are below the state and national benchmarks, and median rent is modest. The neighborhood sits in a context where Cleveland's overall population has edged upward recently after decades of decline, but growth is concentrated in the urban core—Downtown, University Circle, Ohio City, and Tremont—rather than in residential outer neighborhoods where Benesch sits.
**Academic Performance and State Testing**
State test results from the most recent data show very low proficiency across the tested grades. In math, the proficiency rate was in the single digits. In English language arts, proficiency was also in the single digits. In science, proficiency was similarly low. These results place the school in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools across Cuyahoga County districts. A parent may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school has in place, what the trajectory has been over time, and what the school's plan is to raise achievement.
The school did not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts, English learner enrollment figures, or special education enrollment counts, so those data are not available here. The school also has no data on chronic absenteeism or graduation rate, the latter because the school does not serve high school grades.
**Context for the District**
Benesch is part of the Cleveland Municipal School District, which in December 2025 approved a sweeping consolidation plan. By the 2026-27 school year, the district will close buildings and merge schools, reducing the total number of district schools from 88 to 59. The number of elementary schools will drop from 61 to 45. Many students across the district will be reassigned, and new bus routes will be created. For families at schools like Benesch, this means the school's footprint, peer group, and routing may change.
In addition, voters approved a substantial operating levy and bond extension in November 2024, which will increase property taxes for homeowners in the district. The new tax will cost homeowners roughly $200 to $300 per year for every $100,000 of home value and will fund operations, teacher pay, and facilities.
For the 2024-25 school year the district became cellphone-free for students and rolled out the PowerSchool online grade book, giving parents direct access to their child's grades.
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