The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Social studies. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Johnson Park Middle School
Johnson Park Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Waverly Street neighborhood of Columbus, with a total enrollment split roughly evenly across the three grade levels. The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, and white students. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, but the zip code where the school sits has median home values below the state benchmark and rents that consume a meaningful share of household income, suggesting economic pressures in the area.
On state testing, Johnson Park's results are low across all tested subjects. In math, fewer than one in ten students reached proficiency in the most recent year. English language arts performance is roughly twice that rate, but still well below proficiency for the majority of students. Science proficiency was similarly modest. The school's proficiency index positions it in the bottom quartile among schools in Franklin County, meaning its overall academic performance lags substantially behind peers serving similar grade bands across the district's home county. Test participation rates were very high, so these numbers reflect actual student performance rather than testing logistics.
The district context matters here. Columbus City Schools approved a major property tax increase in 2023 that continues through the present, directly raising housing costs for families in the district. More significantly, the board voted in December 2024 to close and consolidate five schools, with implementation beginning at the end of the 2025-26 school year, and in December 2025 approved another round of budget cuts including the closure of four additional schools, elimination of transportation for K-8 students attending choice or lottery schools, and substantial staffing reductions. These moves have materially reshaped school options and busing eligibility across the district. Johnson Park itself was not named in either closure announcement, but families should confirm its current operational status and any boundary changes with the district, as realignment and staffing cuts are ongoing.
On the curriculum side, Columbus City Schools has shifted all elementary schools to science-of-reading instruction since 2021, aligning with Ohio's 2024 statewide mandate. This change does not directly affect a middle school but reflects the reading foundation students arrive with from feeder elementary schools.
The broader Columbus region is experiencing rapid growth and corporate investment, including a major Intel semiconductor project in nearby New Albany and significant multifamily apartment construction. However, this growth has not yet translated into strong academic outcomes at Johnson Park. A parent considering enrollment should engage directly with the school and district about current staffing levels, program stability, and academic support available, and should verify any recent changes in school status or attendance boundaries given the district's ongoing realignment.
See more original research from School Decision →