The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 48% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Anthony Wayne Elementary School
Anthony Wayne Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Franklin, Ohio, a small city in Warren County positioned between Dayton and Cincinnati. The school enrolls a modest-sized student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. About seven in ten students meet that threshold, reflecting the economic profile of the families served.
On state assessments administered in 2023-24, the school shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, third graders performed solidly at a level where most reached proficiency, and fourth graders also showed strength. By fifth grade, performance held at a respectable level, though sixth grade saw a marked drop, with only about half of students meeting proficiency. Mathematics tells a starker story: third and fourth graders showed reasonable proficiency rates, but fifth and sixth grade mathematics results are quite weak, with only about a quarter to one-third of students proficient. Science results from fifth grade fall in the middle range. The school's overall proficiency index, calculated across all tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Warren County. Parents looking at these numbers may want to discuss directly with the school what support structures are in place for upper-elementary students, particularly in mathematics, and what intervention or acceleration pathways exist.
The school sits within Franklin City Schools, a district navigating significant fiscal strain. Operating under fiscal emergency status since fiscal caution began in 2022, the district has failed three operating levies since March 2024. Those failures have triggered roughly a hundred staff cuts over the past few years, including sixteen teachers cut after the most recent levy failure in November 2025. In August 2024, the district closed one elementary building and reorganized the remaining schools by grade level, meaning each school now houses specific grade bands rather than mixed K-5 configurations. All-day kindergarten was eliminated after the May 2025 levy failure and replaced with half-day sessions, a direct change for families with young children. Class sizes have expanded to the state maximum of twenty-five to one, busing has been cut to state minimums, and participation fees for high school activities increased significantly. These cuts reflect the district's structural budget crisis and are material facts for any family considering enrollment.
The backdrop is that Franklin City Schools undertook a major capital construction project funded by a 2020 bond issue that passed with strong voter support. A new high school opened in March 2024, and an older school was converted into a junior high. Three new elementary buildings were planned as part of that package, but state funding for them is not expected until 2027 at the earliest, leaving the district in the interim stretch with aging facilities and rising student need. The long-term property tax obligation from the 2020 bond, along with the ongoing operating levy battles, reflects a community wrestling with how much to invest in schools and an administration forced to reduce services sharply in the near term.
Franklin itself is a small city experiencing growth after decades of housing stagnation. Subdivisions are beginning to develop again along the I-75 corridor after a long pause following the 2008 financial crisis, and the city adopted a Downtown Master Plan in 2023. Housing values are moderate for the region, and families will find both established neighborhoods near downtown and new residential development on the outskirts. The community sits along the Great Miami River and its trail system, which connects to a broader regional path network.
Anthony Wayne Elementary is a regular public school without special designation. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations were not available in the school record. The school's location and grade configuration place it in the middle of the district's current four-elementary structure. For families considering this school, the academic data suggests thoughtful discussion with teachers about grade-level support is warranted, and awareness of the district's fiscal situation and resulting service reductions is essential context for understanding the operational environment the school is working within.
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