The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Social studies. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Edison Elementary School
Edison Elementary School is a small, regular public school serving pre-K through sixth grade in downtown Dayton. The enrollment is roughly steady across grades, with meaningful concentrations in the upper elementary spans. The school's student population is predominantly Black, with small numbers of students identifying as Hispanic, white, or multiracial. Information about the school's free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate, English learner count, and special-education enrollment was not available in the source data.
On Ohio's State Tests for 2024-25, Edison's overall performance sits well below state benchmarks. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students achieved proficiency. Math proficiency was substantially lower, at around one in eight. Science proficiency was similarly modest. Participation in testing was very high, above ninety-nine percent in math and ELA and one hundred percent in science, so results reflect the school's actual student body. The school sits in the bottom quartile among Montgomery County school districts on an overall proficiency index, a position that reflects the depth of academic challenge across its tested grades.
The Ohio data does not yet provide trend information allowing comparison of Edison's trajectory over time, so a parent cannot see whether these numbers represent stability, decline, or recent shift. An older data point from 2017 in social studies suggests similar performance levels then, though that is a partial and dated snapshot.
Dayton City Schools, Edison's parent district, has undertaken notable recent instructional moves. The district adopted a science-of-reading curriculum called Amplify and mandated training across all teachers, including those in early grades. This pedagogy shift moved away from a small-group, dual-teacher model to a simultaneous instruction approach. Third-grade reading proficiency district-wide rose between 2023 and 2024, though the improvement started from a low base. For families considering Edison, this means the school is part of a district actively working on literacy foundations, an area central to early elementary success.
The school's location places it in downtown Dayton, within or very near the walkable historic core. Downtown Dayton has seen revitalization over the past couple of decades, with growth in mixed-use residential lofts, the civic and cultural infrastructure around RiverScape MetroPark and the performing arts center, and active street life concentrated around the Oregon Historic District. That downtown energy and foot traffic coexist with broader Dayton car-dependency and the economic realities of a mid-sized industrial city in transition. The housing market in Edison's zip code shows modest values and rents, with affordability tilted toward rental over purchase.
A material change for any parent with high-school-age children: Dayton Public Schools no longer provides formal transportation for grades nine through twelve as of the 2025-2026 school year, a result of state budget restrictions. Families now pay for RTA bus passes or arrange transportation privately, a significant shift in household logistics and cost. For Edison families, this constraint will matter once students transition to secondary grades.
A parent choosing Edison is selecting a school serving a predominantly Black student population in a downtown setting, with academic results well below state proficiency thresholds. The school is embedded in a district making deliberate curriculum and pedagogy changes, particularly in reading instruction, but those efforts are at an early stage. The school's fit depends on how a family weighs its location and community, the school's current academic position and the district's direction, and the known transportation constraints ahead for older students.
See more original research from School Decision →