Original Research by School Decision on Rhodes College and Career Academy
Rhodes College and Career Academy is a public high school in Cleveland serving grades nine through twelve. Its student body numbers about five hundred and is notably diverse: roughly half identify as Black, a substantial minority as Hispanic, and the remainder split among white, multiracial, and other groups. The school sits on Biddulph Avenue on Cleveland's south side.
State assessment data from the most recent year show proficiency rates across four subjects. In social studies, the school reaches proficiency at a rate somewhat above the midpoint for its tested subject area. In math, proficiency sits closer to the middle. In English language arts and science, the rates are below the midpoint, with science showing the weakest performance of the four. A parent may want to look into these results further with the school to understand whether they reflect broad challenges in reading, writing, and science instruction, and what supports are in place. No trend data over time was available, so it is not possible to say whether the school is moving up or down. The school does not report a graduation rate in the available data, so readers cannot see what share of students finish on time.
The school's name signals its dual focus on college pathways and career preparation, yet the program details provided do not specify what career and technical offerings are available, how many students take advantage of them, or how they connect to local employers. A parent interested in this dimension should ask the school directly.
The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, so the economic profile of the student body is not visible here. Special education and English learner enrollment figures are also not available. Neither are discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, or attendance figures. Without these details it is harder to gauge the day-to-day environment or the school's responsiveness to individual learner needs.
Rhodes operates within the Cleveland Municipal School District, which in December 2025 approved a sweeping consolidation plan. By the 2026-27 school year the district will shrink from eighty-eight to fifty-nine schools, merging thirty-nine schools and closing eighteen buildings. Elementary schools will drop from sixty-one to forty-five, and high schools from twenty-seven to fourteen. Roughly several thousand students across the district will be reassigned to different schools, and new bus routes will be created. For families with students at Rhodes, this plan could affect which school their child attends going forward, how they travel to school, and the neighborhood's future school footprint. A parent should check with the school and district about whether Rhodes is slated for closure, merger, or continuance under this plan.
Earlier in 2024, Cleveland voters approved a property tax levy that will cost homeowners a modest sum each year per unit of home value and fund the district's operations, teacher compensation, and facilities.
The broader Cleveland housing market shows modest inventory and relatively balanced supply and demand, with a median home value below the state benchmark. Rents are reasonable relative to incomes, and affordability is above the national average. The city itself has posted small population gains after decades of decline, with growth concentrated in the downtown core and walkable urban neighborhoods. Rhodes lies on the south side, in a quieter, more residential area away from downtown's recent downtown revitalization activity.
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