The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in Science. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Linden-mckinley Stem Academy
Linden-McKinley STEM Academy is a public middle and high school serving grades 7 through 12 in Columbus, located on the near east side of the city. The school has roughly seven hundred fifty students, with enrollment heaviest in the ninth-grade cohort and dropping off in grades 11 and 12. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller numbers of White, multiracial, Asian, and Native American students.
The school's state test results show low proficiency rates across the subjects measured. In math, overall proficiency was in the single digits. In English language arts, proficiency was also in the low double digits. Science proficiency was somewhat higher but still well below the state typical performance. Social studies was the strongest subject tested, though still moderate. Data limitations mean we do not have a trend across years to show whether these levels are stable, rising, or falling. The tested participation rates in these subjects ranged from roughly three quarters to high seventies, indicating that most enrolled students took the assessments.
Among Franklin County school districts, Linden-McKinley's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile, meaning the gap between this school's results and those of most other district schools in the county is substantial. The school does not report a four-year graduation rate or chronic absenteeism rate in the available data, which is common for schools with lower proficiency levels or complex demographics and may reflect data reporting practices rather than a specific absence of those measures.
The housing market in the school's zip code area is mid-priced relative to the Columbus metro and state benchmarks. The area shows modest year-over-year price movement. Rent is also moderate and has risen slightly. Mortgage affordability sits near the national benchmark, with monthly carrying costs manageable for households at regional income levels, though housing costs remain a meaningful share of family budgets in the neighborhood.
Columbus itself is a fast-growing state capital with a diversified employment base, including major healthcare systems, insurance and finance firms, government, education, and tech sectors; Intel's planned semiconductor campus in the region is expected to bring significant job creation. The district approved a renewal property tax levy in 2023 to fund operating expenses and building maintenance. In December 2024 and again in December 2025, the district voted to close multiple schools and cut transportation for elementary-school students attending non-neighborhood schools, changes that affect families' school assignment and commuting options. At the elementary level, the district shifted to science-of-reading instruction starting in 2021, a change now required statewide as of 2024-25.
Linden-McKinley presents as a school serving a predominantly Black student community with proficiency levels significantly below county norms. A parent considering this school would want to learn more directly from the school about its STEM focus, program offerings, extracurricular options, and support services, as well as the recent district realignments and their effects on busing and school access in the area. The testing and graduation data paint a picture of a school where academic outcomes are a central concern, and families would benefit from a candid conversation with school leadership about how the school is addressing performance, what resources and supports are available to students, and what the trajectory of improvement looks like.
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