The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Social studies. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Denison
Denison serves pre-K through eighth grade in Cleveland's West Side, drawing a diverse student body with roughly equal proportions of Black, white, and Latino students, plus smaller shares of students identifying as two or more races or as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The school sits on West 33rd Street in a neighborhood that is part of a larger city experiencing concentrated downtown growth and selective investment in walkable urban pockets, though outer residential areas remain quieter and more economically fragile.
The school enrollment is small, at just under three hundred students across all grade bands. State testing data from this year shows proficiency rates below what the field typically calls strong. In mathematics, roughly half of students in grades three through eight reached proficiency. In English language arts, the rate falls lower, with fewer than half meeting the standard. Science is higher at roughly three-fifths, suggesting a relative strength in that subject. These scores place Denison below the midpoint for proficiency compared to other districts in Cuyahoga County. Reading the data another way: in each tested area, a substantial share of students are not yet meeting grade-level standards, which points to academic work ahead. A parent should look into how the school identifies and supports students who are struggling in reading and math, where gaps are most pronounced.
The school's enrollment spans all grades from pre-K to eighth, with modest variation across grade levels. The district broadly serves high poverty through free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility, though the specific count at Denison was not available. The racial and ethnic composition is mixed, with Black and white students each making up roughly one-third of enrollment, Hispanic students accounting for roughly one-fifth, and the remainder split among other groups. This reflects Cleveland's own demographic fabric.
Denison is a regular public school operated by Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Readers should know that CMSD underwent a major consolidation plan approved in late 2025 that will reshape the district significantly by 2027, closing buildings and merging many schools. The district also implemented cellphone-free policies and rolled out a parent-grade-access system in 2024-25, changes that alter the daily classroom experience and parent communication. Additionally, voters approved a substantial operating levy in November 2024 that increases property taxes for district residents, a direct cost families moving to the area should factor into housing decisions.
State testing data was available only for the current school year, so trends over time cannot be shown. Special education rates and English learner enrollment counts were not reported for this school. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The housing market in the zip code where Denison sits is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with median home values and monthly rents both below broader regional figures. This affordability is part of what has drawn some investment to inner Cleveland neighborhoods, though conditions vary significantly block to block. The area remains economically pressured overall; most recent development and new investment in the city concentrates in Downtown, Ohio City, Tremont and University Circle rather than in outer West Side residential zones.
For a family considering Denison, the main picture is a small, diverse neighborhood elementary-middle school serving a mixed-income student population with room to improve in basic math and reading proficiency. The school operates within a district in significant transition, and the broader Cleveland neighborhood context blends affordability with both growth corridors and economically challenged areas.
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