The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Social studies. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Moler Elementary School
Moler Elementary School serves prekindergarten through grade six in Columbus, a section of Columbus City Schools District. The school is small, with an enrollment distributed across early grades that grow progressively from about two dozen students in pre-K to a few dozen in each of the upper elementary grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students, and a small number of Asian and Native American students.
State test results show persistently low proficiency across tested subjects. In grades three through eight combined, roughly one in eight students scored proficient or above in English language arts, roughly one in ten in math, and roughly one in twenty-five in science. These results place the school well below the typical proficiency rates reported across districts in Franklin County, positioning it in the bottom quartile of county schools on overall proficiency. The science test was administered to a notably smaller subset of students, likely reflecting that only certain grade levels take that assessment. Reading instruction in the district has shifted toward the science of reading approach across all elementary schools, beginning several years ago.
The surrounding Columbus neighborhood where Moler sits is diverse in character. Columbus overall is a fast-growing state capital anchored by Ohio State University to the north, with downtown civic institutions and a patchwork of distinct residential areas, some historic and walkable (German Village, Short North, Victorian Village) and others more car-dependent. The housing market in Moler's zip code shows home values modestly below state and national benchmarks, with median rents at roughly the national affordability threshold; monthly mortgage costs, accounting for current interest rates and typical down-payment assumptions, run somewhat higher than monthly rent.
The district is in a period of significant organizational change. Voters approved a substantial property tax levy in late 2023 that will raise recurring revenue for operations and building improvements. In December 2024, the board voted to close and consolidate five schools, with Moler among them; implementation is slated to begin at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Subsequently, in December 2025, facing state funding cuts, the district approved further closures of four additional schools and eliminated transportation for elementary and middle school students attending schools other than their designated neighborhood school, along with staff reductions. For families with children at Moler, this means the school is scheduled to close after this school year, and enrollment boundaries and transportation access across the district will shift. A parent considering this school would want to clarify with the district where students are being reassigned and what support will be provided during that transition.
See more original research from School Decision →