The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Social studies. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Livingston Elementary School
Livingston Elementary School is a small public elementary school serving pre-K through sixth grade in the East Side of Columbus, specifically the area around East Livingston Avenue. The school's performance on Ohio's State Tests reflects foundational academic challenges that parents will want to understand clearly.
In the most recent school year, Livingston's proficiency rates across tested subjects—math, English language arts, and science—were substantially below benchmarks. On math and language arts combined, the school's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared against other elementary schools serving similar grades in Franklin County. The school's proficiency rates in math and English language arts are both quite low, as is proficiency in science. These results point to significant gaps in reading, math fluency, and foundational skills across the school population. The vast majority of students took the tests, so participation was not a barrier to assessment.
The student body at Livingston is predominantly Black, with the next-largest group being multiracial students. Together these populations represent the clear demographic majority. Asian, Hispanic, white, and American Indian students each make up very small shares of enrollment. The school serves a total enrollment in the low hundreds, distributed fairly evenly across pre-K through sixth grade, with slightly smaller upper elementary cohorts.
State testing data does not reveal the school's free-or-reduced-price lunch rate, English learner population, or special education enrollment, so parents cannot use that publicly available information to understand the scale of economic need or additional learning support within the school. The district's curriculum framework has shifted to the science of reading across all elementary classrooms starting in 2021, and all of Livingston's teachers have been trained in LETRS, so literacy instruction aligns with evidence-based phonics and structured literacy methods that are now mandated statewide.
The Columbus City Schools District is navigating significant budget pressures and structural changes. In December 2025, facing large state funding cuts, the board voted to eliminate transportation for K-8 students attending non-neighborhood schools, close four additional schools, and cut staffing substantially. Families should understand that neighborhood school assignments and busing eligibility have changed materially. A property tax levy passed in November 2023 is funding expanded pre-K and building maintenance on a permanent basis, which affects property taxes for homeowners in the district.
Columbus itself is a fast-growing state capital with a diversified economic base spanning government, healthcare, finance, and education anchored by Ohio State University and a downtown financial corridor. The housing market in the area is moderately valued relative to national benchmarks but below Ohio state average home prices. Rents are increasing modestly year over year.
Parents considering Livingston should recognize that the school faces real academic headwinds that require active engagement with classroom learning. The science-of-reading shift represents a positive, evidence-aligned change in literacy instruction. The broader district context of budget cuts and school realignment adds complexity to school choice and busing, so families should verify current transportation and attendance boundaries with the district directly, as these have changed recently and are still in motion.
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