The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Social studies. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Orchard School
Orchard School is a public elementary and middle school in Cleveland serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It has a small enrollment that includes substantial representation of Black students and Hispanic students, along with smaller numbers of white and multiracial students. The school's location on Bailey Avenue places it within the Cleveland Municipal School District, which covers the city and surrounding areas.
On state testing in math, English language arts, and science across grades three through eight, Orchard's results are well below proficiency benchmarks. In math, about one in six students scored at proficient or above. In English language arts, the figure reaches about one in four. Science testing shows similar performance to math. These results place the school in the bottom quartile of schools across Cuyahoga County. A parent evaluating this school should look closely into what academic supports the school provides, what curriculum approaches it uses, and what progress trajectory the school is working toward. The small sample size for science testing reflects that science is assessed at fewer grade levels in elementary school.
Orchard has no graduation rate because it does not serve high school grades. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch participation or special education and English learner enrollment figures in the available data, so the economic and language-learner composition of the student body is unclear from this profile alone. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these demographics and what resources are available for students with learning differences or emerging English skills.
The school is part of Cleveland Municipal, a district navigating substantial structural change. In December 2025, the district board approved a consolidation plan that will reduce the district from nearly ninety schools to fifty-nine by the 2026-27 school year through merging and closing buildings. This plan will affect student assignment and transportation across the district, though the status of Orchard specifically under this plan is not yet clear. Separately, voters approved a significant new operating levy in November 2024, which increases property taxes in the district. Additionally, the district adopted a cellphone-free policy for all students and rolled out a new online grade book system called PowerSchool, giving parents direct access to students' grades.
The city of Cleveland itself is in a period of modest growth after decades of decline, with investment and residential development concentrating in downtown, University Circle, Ohio City and Tremont. Most new housing throughout greater Cleveland is building in outer suburban and exurban areas. Housing values in the city's central zip codes are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are similarly modest. For families considering the area, the combination of affordable housing and a district managing significant consolidation means the neighborhood school landscape is in flux.
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