The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Social studies. The lowest is 58% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Defiance Elementary School
Defiance Elementary School is a full-enrollment public school serving grades kindergarten through fifth, with a student body of about a thousand and a half. It sits at 400 Carter Road in Defiance, Ohio, a small county-seat city at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers that is experiencing its most active residential development in roughly half a century, driven by industrial job growth and regional interest in the area.
The school's enrollment is economically diverse but skewed toward lower income: roughly three in four students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and smaller Black and multiracial cohorts; demographic data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available. The school achieved full testing participation in the most recent assessment cycle, which is a strength on its own.
In state testing on Ohio's State Tests, Defiance Elementary showed mixed results across subjects. In mathematics and English language arts, proficiency hovered just under the threshold many families consider baseline competency. Science performed better, with proficiency notably higher than the other two subjects. Social studies data comes only from 2016-17, now quite old, so current standing in that subject is unclear. When proficiency results across all tested grades and subjects are averaged together, Defiance Elementary sits in the bottom quartile among districts in Defiance County. A parent may want to ask the school about its academic trajectory over time and what factors school leaders believe are shaping current performance.
Defiance City Schools, the district housing this school, approved renewal of its long-standing operating levy in 2022, securing stable funding for five-year periods and locking in predictable property tax obligations for families considering the area. The city itself is walkable in its historic downtown, where brick storefronts, restaurants, and civic anchors like the Carnegie library on the Fort Grounds draw residents. Outside downtown, daily life is car-dependent; there is no public transit system. The housing market in the zip code is more affordable than state and national medians, with home values and mortgage obligations well below both benchmarks, which may appeal to families on tighter budgets. Multiple residential developments are underway or planned, signaling growth and demographic change ahead.
Defiance is anchored by General Motors' aluminum foundry and machining operations, Johns Manville manufacturing, Parker-Hannifin, ProMedica Regional Hospital, and Defiance College, which provide the local employment base. The city has a robust park system, including Kingsbury Park with pools and recreation facilities, and sits roughly an hour from Fort Wayne International Airport by car via US-24.
See more original research from School Decision →