The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on East Linden Elementary School
East Linden Elementary School is a small public school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Columbus, with an enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment, a very small white population, and a small share of students identifying as two or more races or Asian. Race and ethnicity data is available, but the school's free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate and special education or English learner counts were not reported, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving meal support or receiving special services.
The neighborhood itself lies in Columbus, Ohio's fastest-growing major metro, where the city and surrounding region have absorbed rapid population growth driven by major corporate investment, education and healthcare employment, and proximity to Ohio State University. Housing values in the school's zip code sit below the state and national benchmarks, reflecting the mixed-income character of many Columbus neighborhoods. The district faces significant budget pressure: in December 2025, Columbus City Schools announced major funding cuts and school closures over the next several years in response to state-level cuts to Ohio public school funding. Parents should verify the school's status as implementation of these changes unfolds, since East Linden was not named in the closures announced to date, but the broader climate of reductions may affect staffing, programs, and services across the district.
State assessment results for the most recent school year show proficiency below the middle range. In math, roughly mid-40s of third- through fifth-grade students scored at proficient or above. In English language arts for the same grades, the share was in the low 40s. Science testing, which includes a smaller pool of students, showed roughly one in five at proficient or above. A social studies assessment from several years prior showed similar low proficiency. When measured against the counties 16 elementaries for which proficiency data could be computed, East Linden's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This indicates that compared to peer elementary schools in Franklin County, this school's students are testing lower across subjects. The school received full participation in state testing, meaning nearly all eligible students sat for the assessments.
On its own, a low proficiency result does not tell the full story of a school's value or potential. A parent might want to understand what programs or interventions are in place, how the school approaches the science-of-reading literacy instruction that the district shifted to starting in 2021, what instructional support looks like in math, and how the school partners with families on learning. The school's size, quiet location on the city's south side, and the character of its student peer group are worth understanding in person. A visit to the school and a conversation with staff about how they are working to close proficiency gaps, and what family engagement looks like, would give a fuller picture of what to expect.
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